Sorrow Multiplied
by Pokey1984
Summary: Leia asked some questions in "I'm Sorry" and now she'll finally have the answers. Post ROTJ. [Completed.]
1. Chapter 1 Someone's coming

Okay folks, I've been working on this since Fred tied me to the chair and made me write "I'm Sorry" I spent the entire time I edited that with tears running down my face and I was very wavery about posting it at all. Since that story had, at last count, 86 hits and only five reviews, I am going to assume everyone who didn't review liked it. (I wonder sometimes if all you lurkers know that we authors can see how many times you read our stories?)

I liked it too, and that is why I had to know the answeres to Leia's questions.

**This is important, so pay attention! If you haven't read "I'm Sorry" yet, don't read it until you've read the first chapter of this story.** If you have read it already, don't worry, I just did this neat suspense thing and reading "I'm Sorry" first kinda ruins it.

Well, the ususal info applies. Ever since I abandoned "from Another World" I don't start posting any story until it is nearly finished so updates might come at anypoint. The speed of chapter posting is directly proportional to the number of reviews posted multiplied my how many minutes in a row I can convince my computer to stay running

So, without further _adieu..._

* * *

_"Sorrow Multiplied."_

l

_Space is cold_. She thought, not for the first time, while staring out at the starlines through the viewport of her ship. The lines swirled and twisted into new and more amazing patterns even as she watched. Shivering, the woman pulled a shawl closer around her shoulders. Space travel never used to bother her. When she was young, she had rarely travelled from her home planet but during the last couple of decades she felt she had spent more time in the air than on planet. She knew the ship was temperature controlled and therefore, should be comfortable. The air still felt cold.

Still shivering, but trying to take her mind off the chill, she settled into the pilot's chair and began pulling up information on the console. She was reading about the planet she was going to. Not that there was anything she didn't already know about the planet. The huge city had once been the jewel of the Republic, then it had been the crown jewel of the Empire. Now, it served as a capital for the New Republic, as they were calling it. The Rebel Alliance was trying to rebuild the Republic from the ground up and apparently someone had decided that Coruscant would make a fine example of how everyone could recover.

Snorting at the thought, she cleared the information off the screen. She didn't need to read it again. She practically had it memorized. Sensing that someone was standing behind her, and knowing there was only one other person onboard, she spoke without turning.

"We'll be there shortly."

"I had thought so. No matter how many delays you programed into the Navicomp, we would have had to get there sooner or later. About an hour, right?"

The woman turned and smiled. "I've known jedi who weren't as good as you, Kerinè."

The twenty-year old blushed and sat down. The girl had long blond hair and light complexion that made her appear almost transparent at times. Now, the dim light in the cockpit made her stand out, almost as if she glowed. "I've spent most of my life as a navigator, I know exactly how long it takes to get to Coruscant no matter where you're leaving from or how many detours you program in." She hesitated, "And I know you, Milady. You are dreading this encounter with all your being. Why is it so hard?"

"It's not hard, it's impossible," she pulled her shawl more tightly around her thin shoulders. Every breath caught in her throat and the drum pounding in her breast hadn't slowed sice they left their last fuel stop. She turned to the girl next to her, not sure how to continue.

Kerinè had been but a child when they had met. On one of her less profitable trips, she'd ended up on a backwater world looking for a cargo. She'd found one in a viscious looking man with a largish crate. Knowing it was a bad idea, she'd agreed to carry the thing to another planet in the same system for an exorborant fee. Desperation makes one do stupid things, however, and when she'd heard a strage whining coming from the crate, she'd forgotten her 'no questions asked' policy and opened the crate to find a crying child, no more than six standard years old.

Her mothering instinct, which apparently hadn't died after all, kicked in and she immediately changed course. The child, Kerinè, had stayed on with her, having no other place to go, and had later proved to be wonderful co-pilot. Seeing something special in her rescuer, Kerinè had never been comfortable treating the older woman with the familiartiy she tried to insist upon. Years ago she had finally stopped correcting the girl and had learned to live with the 'miladys' though she woiuld not tolerate anything more formal.

Now, the child, no the young woman, was asking her a question and she felt Kerinè deserved an answer. She had never properly explained why she continually raced aback and forth across the galaxy, from the core to the outer rim, stopping at the same places over and over again and wasting money by making empty runs. She had never allwed the girl to see any of the heavily encrypted messages that she recieved. Kerinè had only rarely even asked, such was her loyalty. Now, she wanted desperately to give the younger woman an answer but she had no idea where to begin.

Deciding to postpone the answers yet again, she said simply, "Arriving is never the hardest part of going home. It's the moment just before you arrive, when you wonder if home even still exists, that your heart stops. I don't even know if my home exists and I'm not sure I have the strength to find out."

Accepting her lack of an answer, Kerinè placed and hand on the older woman's shoulder. "You are the srongest person I have ever known, Milady."

"Perhaps I was once. Now, I'm just another homeless old woman with a bad knee and a blaster. I'm nobody."

Though her expressions were carefully controlled most of the time giving a regale, yet subservient impression, when they were alone together she was prone to giggling as she did now. "You are not even fifty standard years, Milady; and I happen to know your bad knee is just for show."

She sighed. "You know me too well and yet not at all. And my name is not Milady. I've heard far too much of that over the years."

"Yes, Milady."

Sighing, she reached into one of the pockets of her spacer's vest and found a datachip. She inserteded it into the console and tried to brace herself. The video recording had been made about four years ago and she had found it when they had delivered their most recent cargo. For days, it had stayed close to her and yet she had avoided looking at it. Now, she called up the image and allowed it to play.

The image was two-dimensional and played on a flat screen. It had obviously been shot with a personal recorder and from the middle of an audience. The picture jiggled a bit as the being filming it adusted the view to show two men and a very large wookie travelling slowly down the center aisle of the huge room. The recorder panned down to the dais at the far end of the room where it stopped on the image of a young woman with her long brown hair done in complex braids.

Several others stood at the rear of the dais to assist, but the young woman, who was barely eighteen years old, stood mostly alone. The men, soldiers by the uniforms, reached the dais. In turn, both men and the wookie bowed to the young woman who stood regaly as she lowered a medal around each of their necks. The three turned so their backs were to the woman and they all bowed again. Then the image was obscured while everyone stood and applauded. The image swirled dizzily while the user searched for the off switch, and then the recording was over.

Tears ran down her face as she backed the recording up. When all four beings were clearly in the shot and facing her, she zoomed in on the group. Soon, all she could see were the men's faces and the young woman behind them. She adjusted the angle a bit, grateful now that she had bothered to learn how to use this obsolete type of recording. Now only one of the men was in the shot and the woman behind him. She reched out to the image, stopping her fingers just before they reached the screen. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, and felt it come out as a sob.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt an hand upon her shoulder. She looked over her shoulder as Kerinè hugged her from behind. "I'm sorry, Kerinè. I forgot you were there."

"Milady, you are sorry far too often." feeling very bold, the girl continued, "Who are Princess Organa and Commander Skywalker?"

"My life."

Kerine, released the older woman and settled in the co-pilot's chair. "We will be coming out of hyperspace any minute now. If you like, I can handle it while you freshen up, Milady."

"That would be wonderful." She stood and headed for the doorway. "And my name isn't 'milady,' it's Padmè."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"I know I need a break, believe me I know, but I can't igore my duties here..."

Han cut the princess off mid sentence. "'The new republic needs me.' I know, I've heard it before. Leia, you won't do the New Republic any good if you work yourself to death. The war is over. We can all take our time now."

Princess Leia Organa sighed with frustration. "No, we can't. Right now we have to prove to ourselves and to the rest of the galaxy that we can build a new government, a fair one. If we don't start now, we will never be able to unite the galaxy again..."

Again, Han cut her off. "And all the little planets will start squabbling with each other and gloom and doom ensues. Yeah, I've heard it before. It doesn't matter..." At the look of pure hatred on the princesses face, Han backed up. "I didn't mean that. It does matter, but not if you kill yourself before you can prevent it, sweetheart."

Indignation colored her voice when she said, "I am not killing myself."

"Oh yeah? Then what do those fainting spells mean?" At the stricken look on her face, Han grinned wildly. "Yes, I know about that. Threepio tattled and it's a good thing he did."

Leia muttered something about having the traitorous monstrosity of a droid sent to the spice mines of Kessel where he could be useful and Han grinned. "Say that again sometime after you've had a vacation and maybe we'll do something about it Princess."

"I can't take a vacation, Han. I'm needed here." They'd had a hundred similar arguments since the battle of Endor four months ago. They had all been fighting nonstop for the last four years. Now the war was mostly over and every was finally getting the opportunity to let their guard down. Everyone, that is, except Leia. Except now, for the first time, Han had some real ammunition and Leia didn't like it one bit.

"Fine, have it your way your Highnessness." The Correlian turned and stormed off. Leia started to relax, then realized he'd given in far too easily. She sighed wearily, turned the opposite direction, and headed toward her quarters.

Palming the door open, the princess started immediately for the balcony on the other side of her living quarters. She opened the transparent door and stepped out into the cool air. She loved being out here at sunset. The sky lit with such brilliant colors, reds, blues, purples, yellows, silver and gold. Leia leaned against the huge duracrete railing and breathed deeply.

Finally starting to settle her emotions, she reached up and pulled some of the pins from her hair. The long braids fell, still twisted, to hang down her back. Settling into the single chair she kept on the balcony, she tried to relax and get comfortable. Han was right, at least to some degree. She was overworked and it was getting harder and harder to relax in the evenings. Leia tipped the chair back and leaned it against the wall behind her, propping her feet up on the railing.

Her thoughts ran wild and she let them. As always happened when she sat like this, she remembered her Aunts scolding her for not being ladylike. That was precisely why she did it, of course, but tonight the plesant memory didn't work. Tonight it just reminded her that they weren't really her aunts, which was somewhere she didn't want to go.

Standing, she rushed into the apartment and turned on some music. Knowing the apartment was sound-proofed, she turned it up as loud as she could stand and headed for the kitchen. The music did it's job well and the fast rhythm quickly drove all thoughts from her mind. She'd learned when she was young that if she turned the music up loud enough she could forget all the things she was supposed to think about and just be herself.

Now, instead of using the music to escape her duties, she used it to escape the memories that were fighting to make it through to the front of her mind. Memories of Alderaan, of her family, invariably led to memories of the man who had destroyed them and herself as well, all by simply existing.

Leia made some tea in the kitchen and carried it out to the balcony. She settled in her chair again and watched what was left of the sunset. This time, she was able to focus on the sound berrating her ears instead of the memories. Unfortunately, there was still one thing that could get past the pure sound that chased everything else from her mind, and he was headed this way.

Apparently, Han had told on her, because she could feel Luke coming and he was worried about her. Cursing the Correlian, Leia stubbornly refused to move. Her brother had chased her to this balcony before and if he wanted to pester her, he would just have to do it again. Before too long, she felt him enter her apartment. She could hardly touch the force at all yet, but when it came to her twin she couldn't help but sense him when he was this close. Despite the fact that she was more than annnoyed with him, the contact was still comforting. Luke's presence chased the dark shadows from her memories faster than the loud music ever could.

She heard the music go down to a more comfortable level. Without getting up or even turning around, she yelled, "Go away, Skywalker!"

Just as stubborn as she, Luke continued out onto the balcony and jumped up onto the railing. Sitting there, he just stared at his twin.

Too annoyed to hold out, Leia growled at him again. "Go away Luke."

"Why didn't you tell Han you fainted?"

"I'm a big girl, I don't have to tell him every little thing in my life. Besides, why aren't you asking why I didn't tell you?"

"I knew. I felt you pass out. I checked on you while you were still out but I didn't think you wanted me hovering so I left again when you woke up." Luke looked at her innocently.

"Where is that good sense now?" She grumbled at him.

Luke shrugged and kicked his dangling feet. Each time they made contact with the duracrete railing, Leia heard a dull thud. "Han asked me to talk some sense into you, he stilll seems to think I can. He said you haven't been sleeping well either. He's worried Leia, you're over working yourself."

"Not you too!" The thunking of his boots was irriating her to no end and she was pretty sure he knew it. "I am not overworked. I like my job. This is what I trained my entire life to do." She shot a wicked glare at thim "Besides, you're working just as much as I am."

Luke considerd this for a moment. He had been working almost continuously since Endor. At first it had been just research about the Jedi, then he had started learning politics and helping to negotiate witht he more reluctant systems. Now he was doing almost as much as Leia. "I'm a Jedi, I have the force to help me. I won't wear out as quickly as you."

Leia's jaw set stubbornly and Luke sighed. Then he jumped off the railing, thankfully, he also stopped kicking his feet. "I'll tell you what, I'll take a break if you do."

"What?" The suggestion was so off the wall it caught Leia by surprise.

Grinning, the Jedi continued. "We both take a week off, you and I. We can take a vacation." He stood and waked over to sit on the floor in front of her. "We've both been working hard the last few months, we haven't had the chance to spend any time together."

That made her pause. The thought was tempting. She'd only known Luke four years and most of that had been spent in the middle of battle. She had hardly had the chance to know him as her friend, let alone as her brother. Since she still wasn't willing to publically acknowledge the relationship, she hadn't been able to steal away any 'bonding' time.

"Luke, I don't... I can't."

"Why not? And don't say it's because the Republic needs you. That line may work on Han but I happen to know that right now Mon Mothma and the others are pressuring you to take some time off because right now they _can_ spare you."

Leia mumbled something and at Luke's questioning look, she said, "I like to keep busy. I don't know what I'd do with an entire week to myself." _I don't know what I'd use to eep the shadows away..._

"I've got some travel brochures. We could do anything or nothing, whatever you like."

Leia shook her head. "I couldn't afford something like that even if I wanted to, which I don't."

She felt Luke waver and saw him look down at the duracrete. He was hiding something form her. "What is it now, Luke Skywalker?"

He bit his lip and looked away, then back at her. "Actually, you can. We're both, well, lets just say we're quite well off."

"What in the galaxies are you talking about?"

"Father." Luke said simply. Leia's face turned to a mask of disgust which she quickly controlled. Luke contiued. "About two months ago, a bank contacted me and told me I needed to come collect my inheritence. I guess Father had quite a sum tied up in several investments and somehow it didn't qualify as 'spoils of war' so... Anyway, half of it should be yours but I figured you wouldn't want it so I put it aside for you."

Leia couldn't speak for several minutes. She tried to be angry with him and found she couldn't. He was obviously very upset, and slightly embarrased, about the whole thing and somehow she just couldn't be angry with him. After more deepbreaths than she could be bothered to count, she finally got her voice under control. "Thank you. You're right, I don't want it."

"I figured. Someday, you'll have a very good use for it, when that day comes, it will be there. In the mean time, you're making a handful of investors very, very, _very_, happy." Luke grinned and Leia wondered exactly how much money was there. She didn't ask. Instead, she just shook her head slowly at her brother and resumed their earlier conversation.

"I can't Luke."

"Yes you can. Six nights, we go somewhere else, anywhere else, and pretend we have absolutely nothing better do to than sip drinks and play holochess. It'll get Han and everyone else off your back." Luke grinned at her. "Do it for me? I've never had a vacation either and it sounds like a terribly boring thing to do by yourself."

Laughing, Leia finally broke. "Okay, I give. I'll go on vacation with you."

She spent that night wondering how he could always get her to laugh and for the first time since endor, Vader did not show up in her dreams.


	2. Chapter 2 No, I won't!

Wow, Thanks guys! I've got some general comments, then on to replys, then the story.

This fic is mostly complete, I'm just reformatting to post it. This isn't so much a Luke/Leia fic as it is a Padme fic, however, since all of you seem to like Luke/Leia fics, I do have a C2 community about family in the GFFA, so I'd love to read your favorites! I'm only listing completed fics, and I'm pretty strict about spelling and grammar (I know, I'm a hypocrite) but Please, send me your favorites. You are welcome to E-mail me at anytime at pokey1984 at Yahoo dot com (did you know you can't list an E-mail address in a story? The editor won't let you.), I check that account daily.

Okay, on to replies...

**MorganD-** Yes we get some answers, not so much on the interaction, though. Sorry. Have you read my fic "Isn't Anyone going to Say Anything?" from the second chapter on is mostly Luke/Leia. I would also reccoment Kazzy's "A Momment in Time" If you have any favorites, please e-mail me, I love Luke/Leia fics.

**SSG Michael B Jackson**- Yes this is AU, but only kinda. I like to throw stones in the creek now and then, but not enough to chage the course of the river. I'm pretty much sticking to the timeline created by George and the EU authors. Actually this chapter is where I make my big change, call it an island. ;-) (By the way, Favorite Author as well as Favorite Story? Color me flattered! Thank you!)

**Kazzy**- Luke and Leia really do deserve a vacation, whether or not they will be able to take one... Who knows ;-)

Yes I have a premium account. I was curious and I already had the ten dollars in Paypal. The big seller for me is that it gets rid of the ads, my 'puter is ancient (I'm running 32mgs of ram right now cause one of my cards died) so I need all the help I can get. I Like the enhanced stats, it tells me if people aren't reading my stories, or if the sight is just running slow right now. Of course there are bugs, once it told me that I had four reviews on a story that had no hits. ;-) I intend to keep my subscriptions current though, if nothing else it supports my favorite site!

**K00lgirl1808**- I will definitely finish this story, I want to find out what happens next! ;-) Oh, and good luck on your Harry Potter search!

**rjcod**- Thanks for the review! I'm always saying I want to know what you think, even if it's annonymous. I hope you continue to enjoy this.

A/N: Sorry this chapter is a bit short, it's where the break fit naturally. I took some liberties here, tell me if you think I took too many. I'm assuming a lot and I know the hazzards in that...

Chapter 2

_Sorrow Multiplied_

l

_Padmè stood on the cliff, waiting for her husband to meet her. She'd sent him a message, telling him she wanted them to be together. It said that if he wanted to talk to her, he should come to this place. The former senator was looking down at the Ragiss river when she heard heavy footsteps behind her. As the step of booted feet came closer, she was able to recognized the hiss-click of an artificial respirator and she felt a tear form in her eye at the sound._

_The footsteps stopped a few feet away and Padmè closed her eyes and gathered her courage. She wiped away the tear in the guise of lowering her hood and turned around. The heavy, dark blue cloak was warm and as much as she hadn't wanted to wear it, she was grateful for it now, standing in the harsh wind. Turning slowly, she refused to lower her eyes no matter how painful the image in front of her was. She owed it to Anakin to witness this horror._

_He was dressed, from head to toe, in shiny black armor. The heavy footsteps she'd heard were made by plated boots that joined shiny black plates of armor at his knees. His chest was wider than she'd remembered and probably enhanced by the armored breastplate he wore. The ensemble was topped with a fluted black helmet and a truly hideous cape. Padmè drew her attention to his face, trying to ignore the armor. The only patch of visible skin on his entire body was the area just around his eyes. Most of his face was covered by a mask, but she was able to breath a sigh of relief that she could still see his eyes._

_For a long moment, they stood there and looked at each other. Padmè imagined what she must look like to him. She'd bound her hair in a tight braid and wrapped it around her head to keep it out of the way. Although she was nearly completely hidden beneath the thick cloak, her head was completely bare. She hadn't even worn any cosmetics. Knowing it might be the last time, she wanted them to speak, just this once, without anything between them._

_"It's been a long time, Ani." She attempted a smile and it became genuine when she saw his eyes soften slightly._

_"Please don't call me that." The smile disappeared. His voice was harsh and far deeper than it had been before. Suddenly, Padmè realised that it was being artificially reproduced. She now knew the purpose of the armor, it hid the lifesupport that must be keeping him going. He couldn't even speak for himself anymore._

_Years of training allowed her to plaster an expressionless look on her face even though she was close to tears. She carefully schooled her expression into one of neutrality. She instantly saw the harsh look return to his eyes and she remembered her purpose here. It took more effort to erase that expression that it took to create it, but somehow she managed and let her sorrow show. When she did, all her emotions bubbled to the surface and she felt tears running down her face._

_"Oh, Ani, what have they done to you?"_

_She could imagine his scowel. "Obi-wan did this to me."_

_Swollowing her tears, she stepped closer. She did not want to go there, not right now, so she changed the subject. "Are you ready to come home now, Ani? I've missed you terribly."_

_"I've been home." Obi-wan had told her it was pointless, but she had to try to bring him back. She had to make one final effort._

_"I mean come home to me. We could start over, build a home, have a family. I've been offered a job teaching on Alderaan, or we could stay here, on Naboo. We can be happy again, this time without the politics, without the Jedi. It would be just the two of us, or three, or four."_

_Padmè saw uncertainty in his eyes and her heart lept. He'd caught her jab about children, he'd always been quick. "I don't know, Padmè. I owe my allegience to the Emperor now."_

_"That didn't stop you before. Please, Ani. I need you to come save me one more time. To hell with the Emperor and everyone else."_

_"I can not disobey my Master. I have pledged my life to serve him."_

_"What about me?" Even to herself she sounded childish. "You pledged your life to me too. Or have you forgotten our marriage vows?"_

_Padmè was blessing whoever had designed his armor so that she could still see his eyes. Anakin had always had such expressive eyes. Now, she could see confusion raging in those blue orbs. He wasn't truly commited to evil just yet. She stepped even closer while he sought a reply to her question._

_"Come with me, Padmè. I'll take care of you, I'll keep you safe and you'll never want for anything."_

_"And what happens when your 'Master' finds out? What happens when he has me killed. What will you do then?"_

_"That will not happen." Determination set his eyes even with hers, though she stood well below shoulder level for him. Padmè couldn't help but wonder if he was wearing lifts in his boots, he seemed even taller than ever._

_"Yes, it will, Ani. Ani, he's already killed Jar Jar, and Jamilla, and everyone else we knew. Everyone who didn't approve of his methods." She hesitated. "_I_ don't approve, Ani." _

_"Emperor Palpatine has brought order to the galaxy. He has helped many worlds..."_

_"And he has killed an equal number. Ani, please, I'm not asking you to agree with me, I don't expect you to, but please come with me anyway. We can both argue who's right until the end of eternity."_

_The hard edge came to his eye's again and Padmè knew she'd lost. "I cannot leave the Emperor. I have pledged my life to serve him."_

_Padmè reached up to his face, to the only part of him she could see. The skin around his eyes was dry and she could feel the tiny scars that disfigued the rest of his face. He closed his eyes at her caress. She, reluctantly, withdrew her hand and stepped back. "Then my husband is truly dead."_

_She set her expression back to neutral, surprised at how easy it was, and stepped back to where she had started. Holding her head high despite the tears that not even years of training could stop, she said, "Good bye, Lord Vader. I am sorry to have brought you here for nothing," and she turned away and jumped off the edge of the cliff before she could lose her nerve._

_Even as she fell, Padmè felt to fear, no trepidation. She clamly pulled the string that released the weighted cloak and activated her personal repulsor. Even before her husband could step to the cliff's edge in panic, Padmè had hovered into a tiny cave in the cliffside. With the overhang above her head, she felt safe enough to lean out and watch her cloak hit the surface of the raging river. The effect was disturbingly realistic. She stepped back and snatched the force-suppressing ring rom the ledge where she had placed it earlier. _

_Placing the ring around her own neck, Padmè sunk to the ground and cried for all she was worth, which wasn't much since she was now officially dead. She would be forever safe and now so would her babies. Anyone else would have refused to belive she was dead until they found her body, but she knew Anakin had sensed it the moment she 'disappeared' from the force. He might still search for the body but when he found the cloak he would give up. _

_She tore at the repulsor pack and threw it across the tiny space. It rebounded off the far wall and hit the floor with a thunk. That probably hadn't been too smart, since she would have to climb out if she damaged it, but she no longer cared. She dragged herself off the ground and went to the mouth of the cave. _

_Staring down at the rain-swollen river she thought about Anakin, and little Luke and Leia and wondered why she had bothered with the repulsor pack. At the very edge, with her toes hanging off, she seriously considered giving Anakin a show and jumping for real. She didn't have to have the force to sense him still standing on the edge of the cliff. He would stand there for a while yet, the only thing she didn't know was whether or not he even cared. That thought was all that kept her from jumping for real, the idea that he might be mourning her gave her the tiniesst glimmer of hope. If she had known he was on his knees only twenty feet above her, sobbing desperately, she would have climbed to him in a heartbeat._

_Instead, they both stared at the river and cried for their losses. Eventually, they both left that place and both became harder from the experience._

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

In her dream, Padmè stood on that cliff again, but this time her cloak and her repulsor pack were gone. This time, when she jumped, it was for real, and this time Anakin was fast enough. He threw himself toward the edge and she felt herself slow, then stop, decending. Unseen hands raised her back to the cliff's edge and set her firmly on the ground. Her leggs wobbled and she felt herself fall into Anakin's arms.

"You caught me!" She wasn't talking wholely about the drop from the cliff.

"Of course I caught you. You're my Angel, but you don't have wings. I couldn't let you die, I love you."

Suddenly, his armor was gone and he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them, she was lying in her own bed. There was a phantom weight on the edge of her matress and she looked to find the source. Slowly, by degrees, a form appeared to fill the space.

The man was in his mid forties and completely bald. He wore only a plain white tunic and tan pants and his face held no scars, but Padmè would know those eyes anywhere. When he spoke, his voice was exactly as she had remembered, warm and rich, with that combination of rimworld and core accents that was unique to him.

"That's the way it should have happened. I should have caught you."

"That wasn't you, on that cliff." She reached out to touch him but stopped inches from his face, not knowing if he was really there and not willing to find out just yet.

He smiled sadly, his wonderfully expressive eyes showed the first real sadness she'd ever seen in him. Always, his sorrow and sadness had been flavored with anger, now that anger was gone.

"It was partly me. It was enough me that I should have stopped you. I'm sorry, Padmè."

A tear fell down her cheek as she carresed the air around his face. "I'm sorry too, Ani."

He reached up and clasped her hand in his. He brought both their hands to his face and Padmè giggled through her tears. She reached out with both hands and felt him sitting there on her bed. Leaping forward, she threw herself into his embrace, not bothering to ask how. "I've missed you so much Ani. All those years..."

"Shush, now, everything will be okay now." He lossened his grip on her and held her at arms length. "I can't stay, Padmè, but I need to ask a favor of you."

"Anything."

He ran one hand through her hair and smiled. "I've always loved your hair." He seemed to come back to the moment and focused on her again. "I need you to look after our children. They need you right now, especially Leia. She's in a bad place right now, she's hurting and I'm afraid even Luke won't be able to help her." A tear fell down his own face and Padmè realized it was the first time she had ever seen him shed a tear. "She's hurting because of me. It's all my fault."

"Yes, it is Ani. It is your fault, but it is also mine, and Obi-wan's and Yoda's and Palpatine's and Jar Jar's and Qui Gon's and Jamilla's and Bail's... It was all of us Ani, we all did this together."

He fingered her hair again before brushing it behind her ear. "And now it's up to you to put the pieces back together. Help them, my Angel. Help Leia."

"I will, Ani. If she'll let me, if it's the last thing I do, I will make sure she's safe." Padmè reached out and touched his face again. She trailed one hand down the line of his jaw and up to the spot just beside his eyes. The only place she'd been able to touch him all those years ago. "I love you, Ani. I truly, deeply, love you."

He gently tilted her face to the side. "And I love you, Padmè. I always have."

As he kissed her, she felt all the emotions she had been bottling up come out. She hadn't felt this much of anything since she'd finally flown back up that cliff. Now, with his breath on her face, she cried and laughed and loved and hated a years worth in every second. When they broke the kiss, she leaned in and let him hold her. With his strong arms wrapped arond her, she felt truly safe for the first time in decades. So safe, in fact, that she was getting drowsy. She faught sleep with every fiber of her being, but she was just too exhausted. Soon, she was asleap, lying in his arms.

Not willing to let her go just yet, he lay down on the bed with her and pulled the cover up over them both. He knew he didn't have much time left, but he was going to cherish the time he did have.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

When Padmè awoke the next morning, she nearly cried out in frustration. As wonderful as it had been, that had, by far, been the worst of all her many nightmares. For one fleeting instant, she'd had Ani back, but he wasn't really there. Her sorrow died, however, when her hand slipped to the other side of the bed and she felt warmth coming from the matress. She smiled and snuggled into the warm spot. Softly she whispered, "I love you Ani." and felt a phantom caress of her cheek as a response.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"What do you mean I can't make an appointment to see the Princess?" Padmè asked the woman on the other end of the comm channel.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but the Princess is cancelling all her appointments until further notice. I can take your name and when she is again available we can set something up..." The white haired secretary gathered her stylus and poised to take down her information.

"Can you give her a message for me? I promise it will be brief." The woman considered and Padmè knew she was going to say no. Desperately, she continued, "I knew her father on Alderaan, please, I just need to get her a message. It's important."

Hesitating, the woman nodded, "Okay, but make it short."

"Tell her, I'm sorry I wasn't able to apologise to her in person. I should have at least brought the letter myself but I didn't have the courage. Just make sure she knows I'm sorry."

As Padmè reached for the com switch, the woman froze. "Wait, what letter are you talking about?"

"She'll know." Again Padmè reached for the control and again the woman stopped her.

"I think Leia will be able to meet with you after all. Can you meet her for lunch tomarrow?" The woman, whom Padme thought looked terribly familar, was jotting notes in a datapad.

Padmè nodded, tears forming in her eyes. "Yes, just tell me where."

When she had terminated the call, the secretary took a moment to gather her thoughts before she reached for the switch again. This time, Princess Leia's face appeared.

"Winter, what can I do for you?"

Reassured that she was doing the right thing, Winter told her longtime frend, "I'm glad to say I have almost completely cleared your schedual. You only have one meeting left and I think you'll want to attend this one."

Leia frowned. "I said to cancel them all."

"I know, Princess, but as I said, I think you'll want to attend this one." Narrowing her eyes, she said, "I think you and commander Skywaker will both want to attend."

Knowing the Alderaani woman wouldn't argue with her unless it was important, Leia agreed.

"Lunch, tomarrow. There will be a table ready. It's a casual meeting."

"Thank you, Winter. Will you be there to see me off?"

"Of course, you highness. Wold you like me to contact commander Skywalker for you?"

Leia looked at the chrono. "No, I'm supposed to meet Luke in a few minutes anyway, I'll tell him. We're going over some brochures."

"Have a good evening, Princess."

"You too Winter."


	3. Chapter 3 Identity revealed

Wow! 483 hits, 163 of them on chapter two! I'm flattered that 162 of you liked chapter one enough to at least open chapter two. And five of you reviewed! Wow! (that's sarcasm and sincerity together. I am flattterd that so many of you are abviously reading this and I love all of you that review, I wish there were a few more of you, but I don't really mind that much.)

Sorry thistook so long folks. RL keeps popping in and dragging me away from the 'puter. This one is nice and long though.

Okay, on to replys...

**Naurica7mk**: Yes, she's alive. I do write about dead people but not too often. :-) Thanks so mch for reviewing. Let me know what you think of this chapter.

**Amylion**: Thank you. I really enjoyed writing that part. I like to see the happily ever after, but I never could come up with a believable "everyone's alive and living happily together" scenario. This is as close as I could get to a happily ever after for Padme and Anakin. I'm really glad you liked it too.

**Shina937**: Sorry for the confusion. I'll explain for you and everyone else who might have been confused. The part in Itallics was a flashback to explain how Padme is still alive. The part immediately after that, in Padme's bedroom, was kind of a force apparition, like when Obi-wan appeared to Luke in the trilogy. I fudged a bit and made Anakin corporeal, at least kinda. I wanted it to be one of those " is he here or not, oh wait, he is" kinda things. I was apparently a little too mysterious. Sorry about that.

Thank you for reviewing, I hope you like this next part. It is very straight forward.

**K00lgirl1808:** Ah, a loyal fan. :-) I like being mysterious, but not that much. I've got some surprises coming up, at least I hope they will be surprises. Here is the big meeting, I hope it was worth waiting for. I am re-writing the ending. This story got longer cause there was more stuff I want to put in so updates mught continue to be a week apart. It really depends on how much time I have to spend at work. At least, if all else fails, I do still have the original ending, so I will still finish it.

**A/N** I want to thank the 162 of you who are still reading this. (One of the hits was me) I hope you are truly enjoying this, thank you for putting up with me. I would also like to offer my apologies, Han is very out of character here. I hope it doesn't ruin it.

Now, without further _adieu_...

l

**Sorrow Multiplied**

Chapter 3

The next day, Leia slept in. She hadn't slept late in years when she wasn't in a medicentre somewhere and she decided she deserved the luxury. Aside from her mysterious meeting at noon, she had nothing inportant to do today and saw no reason to hurry. Leisurely, she wandered around her apartment getting ready. Winter had said to dress casually, but nearly everything Leia owned was either a gown or work pants. Feeling surprisingly nervous, she fretted until she found an old sundress in the back of her wardrobe.

She hadn't worn it in years, not since the last time she was on Alderaan. She had only kept it because it was from Alderaan. Smiling to herself, Leia put the dress on. It was sleevelss and had a conservatively scooped neckline. The skirt was full and fell to her ankles. Swirling in front of the miror, Leia admired the way her hair contrasted with the yellow fabric.

Suddenly inspired, Leia quickly twisted her long hair into two bundles that fell loose down over her shoulders. It was a child's fashion, but it seemed to compliment the dress and she decided it was fitting.

The doorchime sounded just as she was stepping into her shoes and she hurried to let her brother in. Opening the door absently, still thinking about the party she'd last worn this dress to, she almost didn't notice what Luke was wearing. Surprised, she stepped back to take a better look.

He looked almost the same as he had the very first time she'd seen him. He'd chosen a pair of brown pants and a cream colored tunic that belted at the waist. His lightsabre was hanging from his belt and he wore dark brown boots to complete the outfit.

Raising an eyebrow at him, she said, "I'm not complaining, but what happend to all the black?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, I just felt like I needed to wear this today."

"I know what you mean. Are you ready?"

Luke nodded and held out his arm to her. "Ready when you are."

Leia took his arm and they headed for the cafè. Winter had chosen a small cafè not too far from where Leia's apartment was located and it was a nice day, so they waked there.

The gave the hostess Leia's name and they were seated in a private dining room. The space was meant to hold as many as a dozen beings and they were both surprised.

"Are you sure this is where we are supposed to be?" Luke asked the hostess.

She smiled at them. "That is what the reservation says. Organa, party of three, private room. Would you like to order some drinks while you wait?"

They did so and sat at a table where they would have a clear view of the door. After they had their drinks, Luke turned to his sister.

"Is it just me, or is something a little off?"

Leia shook her head. "Something is off, but I don't think it's bad. Remember, Winter set this up."

Luke agreed with her, but still couldn't shake the feeling of unease. He stared at his drink for a long time, not sure what he should say. He cold hardly remember ever having exprienced an uncomfortable silence when he was with Leia, but this was very quickly becoming one. His eyes kept darting toward the door despite his attempts to calm himself. He ckecked his chrono twice and each time marveled at how slow the numbers were changing. They had arrived ten minutes early and Luke didn't think he'd ever experienced a longer ten minutes.

Finally, the door opened and the hostess led in an older woman with long brown hair. Luke and Leia stood and Leia motioned for the newcomer to join them. The hostess left, saying that a server would be with them shortly. The woman just stood there. She wore a slightly out of fasion, cream colored pants suit with a dark purple shawl. Her long brown hair was done in braids that looped back on theimselves. She looked both Luke and Leia over carefully and took a deep, shuddering breath.

When she spoke, her voice held a light deep-core accent that Leia found very familiar. "I didn't know..." She seemed to catch herself and start over. "Please forgive me. I was under the impression that Princess Organa would be alone and finding the two of you here startled me." she swollowd hard and Luke couldn't fail to notice how nervous she was despite her face being a cold mask. "L-Luke Skywaker, I presume?"

Luke nodded and pulled out a chair for her. "Yes ma'am. Please, have a seat."

"Thank you." she took the offered chair and Luke and Leia sat across from her. When they were settled, a server appeard with more drinks, though Luke and Leia had barely started on theirs, and took their orders. When she left, Leia said,

"Perhaps you could tell us who you are and why you asked me here." The new woman seemed to start.

"Yes, of course. My apologies, Princess." The woman paused and took a sip of her drink. Seeming to build up her courage, she took a deep breath. "My name is Padmè Naberrie. I was senator of Naboo when the Empire took over."

Leia nodded regaly. "I am pleased to meet you, Your Highness. I read about you when I was a girl on Alderaan. You are the reason I went into politics."

Luke looked at the two of them, slightly lost. Leia felt his confusion and turned to him. "The planet of Naboo was an elected Monarchy. Miss Naberrie was elected Queen at fourteen. After she served her two terms, she went on to become their representative in the senate. The people of Naboo thought she was such a wonderful ruler that they voted to change the laws and allow her to remain in office beyond her two terms, thoough she refused. She single handedly ended a civil conflict that had been warring on her planet for centuries and at the same time won the battle of Naboo and defeated the Trade Federation's droid armies."

"I hardly did it single handed. If you please, call me Padmè."

Leia turned back to her. "My history books said you were dead, Padmè."

The woman smiled sadly. "That is the way it needed to be. I had to be dead to protect the ones I loved. If Vader had known I was alive, he would have torn the galaxy apart trying to find me."

Padmè noticed the way Leia scoweled at the name Vader. Luke just nodded knowingly. She hoped that the fact that they came together meant that they knew about each other. If they knew about each other, that meant that Obi-wan must have told them about their father too. She almost felt like laughing, they knew about their father, but no one had seen fit to mention her.

Leia was getting more nervous by the second. "Why, exactly, are you here? I am very glad to meet you, but I'm sure there was another reason you contacted me."

Collecting herself, Padmè took a leap of faith and said what was on her mind. "It's been so long, I just wanted to see you. I wanted to know that you were happy."

Leia was kept from asking what in the galaxies she meant because their food had arrived. Ignoring the plate, Leia waited until the server left before asking, "What are you talking about? I don't remember ever meeting you before. Did you know my father on Alderaan? He never mentioned you..."

Leia trailed off. Padmè now had tears running down her face, though the mask Luke had noticed earlier was still in place. She started to stand up. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come. I should have left you alone, you're obviously happy now. I'm sorry." With that, she bolted toward the door.

Luke stood too. "Wait, please don't go."

Padmè paused and turned back. Luke had extened one hand, as if reaching for her. She realized that he could sense her emotions but Leia couldn't see past the mask. With great effort, she dropped the mask and allowed her raw emotions to show on her face. Luke circled the table and handed her a napkin. She raised one hand and caressed his cheek. "My Luke. You are so handsome, just like your father was. And you are a Jedi, I am so proud of you."

Leia watched the scene, her heart pounding in her chest. She flashed back to when she was very little, being held tightly while her mother cried. Big, brown, sad, eyes, crying while she said, 'I will always love you.' The Princess stepped forward until she was standing next to her brother.

"Momma?" She felt her voice crack softly but didn't care. Padmè touched her face breifly and nodded, then wrapped both twins in a huge hug.

"My babies, you're all grown up," she whispered. She stood there and held them for a long time, not caring how akward such a pose was, since they were both taller than she. When she finally released them, Leia took her hand.

"Please, come sit with us." She led her mother back to the table and they sat down. Though they were on opposite sides of the table, Leia did not relenquish her mother's hand. After sitting in silence for a time, just looking at her children, Padmè whispered,

"You are both so beautiful. I can't belive I ever let you go." She squeezed Leia's hand and reached for Luke's. "I've been watching over you as best as I could. I wanted so much to come forward, to see you both again. As long as the Emperor was still alive there was no way. I couldn't risk you that way. Vader would have found me the instant I came forward and I couldn't put you in more danger. I wanted to be there for you, I am so sorry I couldn't be." Tears were running down her face again but she wasn't willing to relenquish contact with either of her children to use the napkin again.

"It's okay, Momma," Leia said. "I understand."

"I'm sorry, my Luke. I bet you never even knew enough about me to wonder who I was." She squeezed his hand tightly and he nodded.

"No, I didn't know and I didn't ask. I wish I had." He released her hand to pass her another napkin. "Here, I hate to see you crying."

She laughed and took the napkin. "Thank you. Your father hated to see my cry too. When we were young, he once offered to fight a war for me if it would make me feel better." Clear eyed again, she placed the napkin on the table. "There's so much I want to say."

Leia hadn't stopped beaming since they sat back down. "We'll have time to say it all." At that moment, Leia's stomach betrayed her by growling audiably. She giggled. "I suppose that we should probably eat our lunch. At the prices we're paying for it we definitely shouldn't let it go to waste.

They all laughed and started catching up while they ate. "How have you been, Luke? I've been able to keep track of your sister, the Princess of Alderaan is in the news quite frequently, but I'm afraid the first news I heard of you was a wanted poster. You've been on the holovid a couple of times in the last few months, but that didn't tell me much."

Luke smiled. "I'm afraid there isn't much to tell. I'm assuming you know what Tatooine is like?" At her wry nodd, he continued, "Well, I spent the first eighteen years of my life fixing Moisture vaporators. After Uncle Own and Aunt Beru died, I joined the Rebellion as a pilot. Later I trained with Master Yoda on Dagobah, then there was the Battle of Endor... and that brings us current."

Leia laughed at him and nudged him firmly with her elbow. "Is it just you or are all Jedi masters at understating things?"

"It may be because we're family, but Luke doesn't seem as bad as many I've met." Padmè told her daughter conspiratorily.

Luke snorted at the two of them. "I thought you were proud of me?" He asked indignantly. "Now you're making fun of me?"

"Never, my sweet. Never, never, never." Padmè insisted. Luke grinned. "And you, Leia, how have you been?"

Leia swollowed and decided to answer honestly. "It depends on what day you ask. Things are a lot better than they were, especially today."

She still held her monther's hand with her right one and was eating akwardly with her left. It was as if she thought the woman would disappear again if she let go. Leia tried, once, to make her hand let go but before she could convice the muscles to loosen, her mother had squeezed her hand again and she didn't have the heart. Now she just held on for dear life and prayed the moment would never end. "Where have you been, mother?"

"Everywhere and nowhere. I have a light freighter, I've been running everything from precious jewels to medical equipment to shovels. It left me available to check in on you two as often as possible. I even ran a few shipments for the Alliance. Though I doubt either of you saw me, I saw you a couple of times."

She paused for a moment, "I said the first I saw of you was a wanted poster, but that's not true, Luke. I saw you shortly after the Battle of Yavin. I was getting ready to leave and I saw them carry you around on their shoulders. You looked so much like your father right then, I couldn't help but recognize you."

Leia was obviously uncomfortable hearing about her father, and Padmè couldn't blame the girl, but she couldn't help talking about him either. Sitting here with her babies, she couldn't help but think about the man she had loved. Besides, Luke was so obviously enjoying hearing about his father that Padmè couldn't have stopped herself if she'd wanted to.

"Why didn't you come forward then? We were already in trouble with the Empire."

Padmè smiled sadly. "You were in trouble with the Empire, yes. But even then, Vader wasn't any more interested in you then in any other rebel. It wasn't until about five months ago I could have come forward without further endangering you, and then only because Luke was already on Vader's list. Leia, you still weren't a top priority, even then.

"I should have come to you at Endor, but I heard everyone was celebrating and I didn't want to interrupt. Then, after you got back from Bakura, I almost came. I even called the medicentre twice, but I cut the comm off before anyone answered. Then I took a shipment to the Rim and I was afraid so I took the long way back..." She looked down at the table.

"I'm sorry, I was afraid. Before I left for the Rim, I sent you that letter. I wrote it before I left you on Alderaan, Leia. I was going to stay with you. That had been the plan from the beginning, you two had to be seperated to keep the Emeror from sensing you, but I was going to stay with you and Obi-wan was going to stay with Luke, but Vader was still looking for me. He cornered me on Alderaan and I had to leave. I couldn't risk him finding out that you weren't realy Bail's daughter and putting two and two together."

It was too much for Leia to take. The question that had been burning inside of her since Endor burst out before she could stop it. "Why, Mother? Why Him?"

Padmè held more tightly to her daughter's hand. "You think he was always that horrid machine? Have a little faith, Leia. Ani was the most charming, caring, wonderful person I've ever met. He gave with no thought of himself. Sometimes he gave too much." She closed her eyes, seeing images of the past. "Ani was always ready to help anyone no matter the cost to himself. That's how I met him. I was straned on Tatooine with no money and a broken hyperdrive. Ani risked his own life to win the money we needed to fix the hyperdrive knowing full well that once we left he would never see us again."

Luke stopped her. "Who is 'us'?"

"My security, several of my handmaidens, one gungan and two Jedi."

Now Leia was interested, still hurting, but interested. "You said he would never see you again, but obviously he did because you married him."

"What none of us knew at the time was that Qui gon, he was one of the Jedi, had betting with Anakin's owner to set him free."

"Set him free?"

Padmè smiled at them. "I forget that you don't know him, which is silly since that's why I'm telling this story. When I first met him, your father was a slave. Lucky for him he was good with mechanics and a fabulous pilot, that made him valuble and he was treated well. He won us the money to fix our hyperdrive in a podrace, but that's another story."

Luke swollowd hard and Leia winced. Neither had known that. Luke asked the next question. "But I thought Father was a Jedi?"

"He was. He was nine when Qui gon freed him and took him to the temple to train. After that, I didn't see him for almost ten years. When we finally did get together again, it was almost as if no time at all had passed. After almost being executed and starting a civil war, we were married in secret. Later, more peole knew, but it still wasn't many. I was out of the spotlight by then and the only ones we actually hid it from were the Jedi. So when Ani began to fall, when I got pregnant, it didn't take much to erase the fact that we had ever been married. Obi-wan hid all three of us to keep you safe from Vader."

She reached out to her children. She didn't have to be a jedi to feel Luke's acceptance of her story. Leia, on the other hand, didn't doubt her but still held a modicum of disbelief about the validity of her mother's claims. Still, the acceptence Padmè felt from her children could counter everything and for once, she was home.

They finished their lunch with laughter, each relating stories of the recent past. Leia told her mother how Luke had slipped on the ice on Hoth. Luke told about Leia's first attempt piloting. They both shared stories of a time before they had been reunited. As they were gathering to leave, Padmè felt her heart clench tightly in her chest. Even while she was politely saying goodbye on the outside, her heart screamed inside. _NO! I can't say goodbye yet, I've only just said hello!_

So great was her pain, she nearly didn't hear Leia's question. "Mother, would you come to my apartment this evening? I'm not much of a cook, but we could have a light dinner and... There are so many things I want to talk about."

_They do want to see me!_ "Yes, of course I will. All you ever need do is ask, my baby, and I will be there in a heartbeat."

Leia embraced her mother and nearly cried again. As they seperated, Leia suddenly rememberd Luke. "Can you make it tonight, Luke?"

Luke smiled at her knowing what she needed. "No, I have to cancel our vacation plans and I should probably make some calls. I'll have plenty of time to spend with Mom, you go bond."

Seeing the stricken look on the woman's face, Luke rushed to her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."

Padmè shook her heand and took her boy's face in her hands. With tears running down her face she giggled. "It's just so great to have someone call me Mom!"

After another round of fierce hugs, Luke said, "You _are_ going to be here for a while, aren't you?"

"A day, a month, a year, a lifetime, however long you want me."

Leia, still clutching the hand she hadn't let go of since she'd first touched it, leaned close and said, "Forever and ever and ever and ever!"

They parted ways after that, each with more to think about than they had arrived with. Leia went to her apartment to get ready for tonight and Padme went ot her ship to do the same and to check on Kerinè. Luke went to find Han. He wanted company right now that wasn't family.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Luke found Han on the _Falcon_, repairing something, as usual. He boarded without asking and headed for the cockpit. Chewbacca was there, programming something into the console. When Luke asked, Chewie told him Han was near the engine compartments, replacing a power converter.

With a "Thanks Chewie," Luke haded back. He walked quietly and stood near the compartment Han was in. The pilot was inside one of the larger engine compartments, half laying under some piping while he worked on a piece Luke couldn't identify. The older man's face was completely hidden and he seemed to be focusing solely on the repair work.

That image was broken, however, when Han said, "Chewie, would you hand me that other adjustable hydrospanner, I don't know what size this is."

Luke grinned and fished the tool out of the case. "Here you go Han."

"Thanks Chewie- Chewie?"

"Not quite, but I saw him on the way in."

Han slid out and stood up. Inside the pit, his head just barely reached the deck plates and Luke reached down a hand to pull him up. He accepted the help and climbed out. "What brings you around here, kid?"

"Just needed to see a friendly face. You want some help?"

Han shook his head. "Nah, I'm not doing anything important. Just doing a systems check."

Luke raised an eyebrow. It might be like Han to play with his ship, but the man rarely admitted that was what he was doing. "What are _you_ avoiding?"

Han rubbed one hand on his coveralls. "I'm not avoiding anything, just trying to decide what's next. What about you, Why are you hiding out on my ship?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Luke leaned against a bulkhead. He offered his friend a wry look. "I guess you could say it's family troubles."

The pilot started. "Why, what's wrong with Leia?"

Luke grinned and shook his head. "Leia's fine, in fact she's wonderful."

"Then I'm confused, Kid. What's the problem?"

The Jedi's face turned to the reckless expression he'd worn the day they rescued Leia from the Deathstar. "You know, it's strange. To go from being an orphan to having more family than you can deal with."

Han clapped and hand to Luke's shoulder and steered him toward the lounge. "This sounds like it's going to need a drink, Kid. You gonna join me?"

"Sure, Han."

While Han poured them drinks, Luke sat and stared at the table. He wondered why he'd come here. Now he was going to have to talk about it and he wasn't even sure he wanted to think about what had happened at lunch yet.

Han settled the tall glass in front of him and he could smell the alcohol. He was pretty sure he didn't want to drink that, but sipped it anyway. It was just as strong as he'd thought and he only drank as much as it took to taste it and set the glass back on the table.

"So what happened, Kid?"

"My mother's alive, Han."

The old Pilot just sat there for a minute then, "That's great, Luke! This does call for a drink!" Then he noticed his friends expression. "That's not great, is it?"

"Yes it's great, but... I don't know"

Han set his own drink next to Luke's. "You know, I don't think I've ever heard you mention her."

"I never knew her, not even a little. I never even wondered about her and today she just... she was just there."

"Kid, I don't know much about family, never really had one myself, but it sounds like you're feeling a bit guilty."

Luke nodded. "Yeah, she spent that last twenty years running around the galaxy, trying to keep an eye on both of us, Leia and I, and I never even thought about her. Not even once."

"And now it bothers you because you are wondering about her. You just realized you want to know who she is?"

"How'd you get so wise, Han?"

The pilot shook his head. "I'm just an old smuggler, I'm not wise. That's what Jedi are for." He gave a rougish grin and Luke could see why his sister was falling for the old pilot. Han was a lot deeper than he let most people think. "So, what's she like?"

"She lookes like Leia, or rather, Leia lookes like her. She's really strong, and so sad, Like Leia always said." The jedi thought for a minute. "Oh, and she used to be really important, I'm trying to remember what Leia said..."

"Don't tell me, Your father was Darth Vader and your mom was, what, a duchess?"

"No, she was... she was a queen! She was the Queen of Naboo, then she was a senator to the republic"

Han frowned. "So that's where Leia gets it, figures it would be genetic!" The old smuggler reached behind him and pulled a datapad out of a storage cubbord. "Here, if she was a senator, you should be able to look her up. I've got tons of info on the Old Republic."

Luke took the datapad, startled. "Han, why would you have information on old governments?"

"Well, Leia's been researching it and I realized I had no idea what she was talking about, I'm a smuggler, not a beuracrat. So I decided to do some reading up." Luke noticed that his friend was rambling and couldn't help himself.

"You can read?"

Han scoweled. "Of course I can read, I'm not stupid..." He realized Luke was grinning and rubbed his head as if he was getting a headache. "I just don't like feeling stupid and this is important to her Highnessness so she talks about it all the time."

Deciding to cut the smuggler some slack, Luke said, "It's alright, Han. I understand, and I approve, though I don't know what mom will think."

"Oh, yea!" He said dryly. "At least tell me she's corporeal? I'm still not over dealing with dear old daddy."

"Yes, she's very much alive." Luke tapped the criteria into the datapad and let it search. after a moment, it pulled up a biography, and several holos. He pulled up the first. The image was of a woman in a huge gown made of red velvet with gold trim. The woman wore heavy white facepaint and a huge headdress that had her hair woven through it. She looked positively fierce, sitting on a throne large enough to accomodate her gown.

"Wow, relative or not, I wouldn't want to have had to face that." Han pointed to the image. That's even more frightening than getting a late-night visit from Vader!"

Luke had to agree. "You can hardly recognize her under all that paint, and that gown makes her look twice as big." He pulled up another image. This one showed a young woman, still a teenager, in a grey tunic with her hair braided and running down her back. He face was devoid of any make-up at all. "It says this was a disguise she used often, it doesn't say why or what it's supposed to be."

Luke pulled up another image before Han could comment. The next two showed her in the heavy make-up, each with a different gown. The final image showed her standing on a platform with a creature Luke didn't recognize and several bodyguards. She was apparently waiting to board a ship. "This was taken while she was Senator to the republic."

Luke studied the image, trying to reconcile it with that of the woman he'd met for lunch a short while ago. She was quite a bit older, of course, and she looked more rugged now, but it was undeniably the same person. Han tipped the viewer toward himself to get a better view. He whistled softly and Luke shot him a glare.

"What?" He offered the young man an innocent expression. "She's really pretty."

"Uh huh." Luke said skeptically, clearing the image from the display. "There really isn't much information here. It's a bit more specific, but basically it's just what Leia told me. It breifly mentions that she died during a rock climbing accident four years after she retired from her position as senator." Luke shut off the datapad and set it on the table.

"I don't know what to tell you, kid. Like I said, I don't know much about these things."

"That's okay, Han. You've helped a lot already." Luke stood and turned toward the door. "I've got a few things to do, I'll see you later, Han."

"Sure thing, kid."

As soon as Luke had left, Han finished the kid's drink and pured himself another. Joking aside, the smuggler was definitely getting tired of everybody's long-lost relatives showing up all the time. What was the galaxy coming to?


	4. Chapter 4 So, what now?

Okay, I'm sorry, I'm flaky. Just call me pie crust instead of Pokey. I didn't like the way this story ended when I started posting it so I've spent the last two weeks playing with the ending and now it's twice as long as it started and I'm still not done. I blame Fred, just because it's convenient. This will be finished, I promise, but posts will continue to be about a week apart. I hope you all don't mind.

Okay, on to reviews:

**SSG Michael B Jackson:** If you do remember which book (or if anyone else does) let me know. I apparently haven't read that one. Aside from that breif mention on the bridge at Endor, I don't think Luke ever brings up his mother. That has always made me wonder if he really wanted to know about her, or if he was just looking for a good note to start that particular conversation off on. It certainly was convenient. Anyway, thanks for reviewing.

**k00lgirl1808:** Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying this. And thank you for sending me that e-mail. It's easy to start thinking that no one will care if you don't update. I needed that kick in the pants.

**REV042175: **Thanks. I've always liked to t hink of the characters as real, three dimensional people. That makes it easier to write them, I think. This chapter seemed to fall a little flat, let me know what you think. I welcome any suggestions about what I might have done wrong here.

**Kazzy:** I do like torturing Han a little. We really do cut him a lot of slack and sometimes we need to give him a hard time. Besides, I get to write his meeting with Padme this way, and that is one scene I've been looking forward too...

Leia had got a lot to deal with, and she gets to make some decisions under better circumstances than the EU authors gave her. Padme abandoned her children. I know it was for their own good and I know she left them in the care of people she trusted, but that doesn't change the fact that she abandoned them. That would create guilt in the strongest of us and hers had nearly twenty years to fester. Luke, well, he's having typical guilt, he'll get over it. But not too soon.

It just occured to me that I made everyone feel all guilty, Hmm, that could get boring. Gonna have to work overtime to fix this. :-)

Anyway, to all of you out there, I thank you for the flattery. There are at least one hundred of you who made it all the way to the third chapter of this story, thank you for sticking with me. I'm sorry about the delay in posts, but I've been doing some tweaking. I'd rather delay now than have to pull all these wonderful chapters later and re-write them.

So, without further _adieu_...

l

**Sorrow Multiplied**

****

Chapter 4

Leia had no idea what she was going to do to entertain her mother. After all these years, she just wanted to be near the woman. Of all the things she'd thought about her real mother, all the things she'd imagined, Leia had never guessed that her idol and her mother could be one and the same.

Ever since learning galactic history as a child from her tutors, Leia had idolised the young Nubian queen. She'd read every news article she could dig up on the woman and had nearly worn out that section of her history book. The young queen was fierce and strong, yet beautiful and kind. She was everything Leia had ever strived to be, the very image of what a ruler should be, and she was the very same age as young Leia.

After thoroughly cleaning her apartment, Leia set her kitchen droid cooking. The young Princess had been honest when she'd said she couldn't cook. Not sure what to do next, Leia re-arranged the few decorations she had on display, then re-arranged them again. Finally, she put them back where they had started and headed for the 'fresher.

After showering, Leia carefully braided her hair, an activity that could be made to take several hours. Looking at the chrono time and time again, Leia finally turned the device around to face the wall. When the doorchime sounded an eternety later, Leia shoved one final pin in her hair and dashed to the front room. Her mother stood on the other side of the door when Leia opened it and she breathed a sigh of relief.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

After parting with her children, Padmè returned to her ship. Unlike the old days, it was docked in a closed bay like any freighter. The ramp was closed and the ship was tightly locked. As she neared the ramp lowered, reminding her of a time when anything she could possibly need had been at her fingertips and people had gone out of their way to make sure she never lowered her own ramp or even opened her own door.

Kerinè was waiting at the top of the ramp and Padmè hurried to her.

"How was your meeting, Milady?"

Padmè hugged the young woman fiercely. "Absolutely wonderful! She wants me to stay! Can you believe it Kerinè? Leia wants me to stay!"

The young woman returned the embrace wholeheartedly. "That is wonderful news, Milady."

Padmè held the woman at arms length. "You are happy for me and you don't even know why that's good news. What have I done to deserve such loyalty?"

Kerinè smiled, "It is good news because it makes you happy Milady. It is I who doesn't deserve you. You rescued me when you had no reason to. You've helped countless other beings over the years. You are one of the good ones, Milady. You deserve Loyalty from much better than the likes of me."

"Kerinè, come with me. There are things you need to know." Padmè led the girl through the ship to her cabin and shut the door behind them despite the ship being sealed.

She picked up a small box from the table and opened the lid. She handed a pair of holos to the young woman. The first was her wedding picture, the second was of herself holding her two babies, taken only an hour after they had been born. "This is my family. My late husband was a Jedi knight by the name of Anakin Skywalker. We were very happy, though our marriage was a short one. It wasn't very long after that image was taken of us that things started to go bad. Ani started spending more time with Chancilor Palpatine and he grew farther and farther from me.

"Shortly after I learned I was pregnant, he turned on his former teacher. He renounced all the good things in this galaxy and I was forced into hiding before I could even tell him he was going to be a father. I seperated and hid my twins to keep him from finding them." Padmè took the holo of her babies and held it close. She looked into Kerin's eyes and found only acceptance there.

"Kerinè, my husband became Darth Vader." That sentance was one of the hardest the former queen had ever been force to utter but the younger woman's gaze never faltered. "Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa are my children"

The young woman didn't even blink. She just accepted this information and sat quietly, as if Padmè had just told her she liked to knit in her spare time. Impatience won out and Padmè could no longer take the silence. "Please, say something, anything!"

"I am glad you trust me enough to share this with me and I am very glad you have been re-united with your children, Milady."

Understanding hit the former senator and Padmè had to close her eyes to fight off the dizzy spell that accompanied the realization. "You truly don't care about my demons, do you?"

"The past doesn't matter, Milady."

Padmè shook her head sadly. "You are an amazing young woman. You're wrong, but you are amazing nevertheless."

The former queen stood and wandered over to her wardrobe. "Would you help me choose something to wear tonight?"

"I'd be honored, Milady."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ringing Leia's door chime was not the hardest thing Padmè had ever done, but it ranked near the top of the list. She tugged at her outfit like a child, wondering if it was appropriate. She'd chosen another pant-suite, this one a light blue. The outfit was completed with a poncho and light sandles. She tugged at the garments again, and stopped when she saw the door start to swish open. She was frozen in place as she saw Leia standing on the other side of the doorframe.

"Please, come in." Leia offered and Padmè followed her into the apartment. The room was sparsely decorated and was painted in light shades. The furnature was rich, if simple, and seemed to compliment her daughter well. Leia sat on the end of the long sofa and Padme sat at the other end.

After sitting in silence for a long while, Padmè decided to start the conversation. "So, you're working to build the new government."

"Yes. They are even talking about giving me the title of Cheif of State, but I'm not sure I want it. Mon Mothma would make a better leader than I." Leia nevously fingered the end of one of ther braids, then caught herself and frowned at her hand as if it had a mind of it's own. She forced the hand to her lap.

Padmè solved the problem by taking both Leia's hands in her own. "I'm sure you will be good at what ever you do."

She ran one hand through her daughter's braids. "You have such lovely hair."

Leia smiled shyly. "I remembered that you had long hair, I wanted mine to be just like yours. I missed you momma!"

Holding her in a tight embrace, Padmè said, "I missed you too, my baby. I never wanted to leave you. I am so sorry."

"Don't be sorry, you're here now. I've been so lost momma. First I found Luke, then I found out about... about Him. I don't now if I can handle this!"

"I know sweetie, I know."

They reluctantly parted and Leia wiped her eyes quickly. She hated it when she couldn't stop crying. She fished a handkercheif out of her pocket and looked over at her mother, only to realize the older woman had done the same. Leia giggled wiped her face. Padmè did the same and tucked the white cloth back into her poket.

"I guess you picked up more from me than either of us thought."

"My aunts used to say it wasn't lady-like to carry your own handkerchief, but they could never properly explain why." Leia shrugged, "it seemed more practical to me than hoping someone would offer you theirs."

The older woman agreed with her. After a few more minutes of silence, Padmè noticed a familiar looking paper on the table next to her. She picked it up and was startled to seee her own handwriting. She looked ofer at Leia, noticing the worn edges on the sheet and the no longer crisp folds.

Leia tried to form a smile but failed miserably. "I thought you were dead, they told me you were dead. I read it over and over, trying to understand, now I do."

Padmè reached out and Leia crawled across the sofa and into her arms until she lay half on the couch and half in her mother's lap, the older woman stroking her hair gently. "I wish I could have been there for you. I wish you could have known Ani the way I knew him. He was a good man, once. You probably wouldn't have liked him though. He wasn't serious about anything, always running off to save stranded queens and racing. He could be a real terror when he flew."

Leia giggled. "You should meet Han. He's one of the best pilot's I've ever seen. I think he's even better than Luke, though they've never competed as far as I know."

"Who's Han?"

"Han Solo. He's... well, he's the man I'm in love with. He used to be smuggler, but after he and Luke saved me from the Death Star he joined the Rebellion." Leia traced the design on her mother's poncho while she spoke. "I don't know what he's going to do now. He's not exactly the respectable type."

"I understand. I'm sure he'll find something to keep him here."

Leia looked up at her face, not even bothering to hide the hope in her eyes. This was her mother, after all. "Do you really think so?"

"Of course, dear." Padmè smiled down at the princess knowingly. "They always do."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

The next day was the first official day of Luke and Leia's vacation, but with their mother's appearance they no longer felt like taking a cruise. They had not needed to discuss cancelling their previous plans, but now neither was sure what to do with their week off. Obviously they were going to use the time to get to know their mother, but what to do?

Padmè had the answer, of course.

"Children, I'd like you to come see Naboo. I can't think of a better place to announce to the galaxy that I'm still alive and I want you to see where you're from. You've already been to Tatooine..."

Luke jumped at the idea. The three of them had met at Leia's apartment that morning, for lack of a better idea. After his conversation with Han, Luke had decided he did want to get to know his mother. He realized that he had always wanted to know her, on some level at least. "That sounds great, when should we leave?"

Padmè had already thought this out. She'd spent the previous night thinking about the fact that her children were going to be free of any responsibilities for the next week and that they actually wanted to spend that time with her, and those thoughts had brought her around to Naboo, her home. She wanted to share this with her children more than anything else in the galaxy.

"We can leave whenever you are ready. I had Kerinè prepare the ship this morning."

Leia, who obviously hadn't been following the conversation very closely, looked up from where she'd been studying the carpet. "Who's Kerinè?"

"Now there's the thousand credit question. Kerinè, to put it simply, is my copilot. I've known her since she was just a child," she took Leia's hand gently. "When I met her I had only just lost you two and I guess the mother in me coldn't leave her to those thugs. I took her in and she's been insistant on worrying over me ever since."

Padmè giggled softly. "She actually reminds me of Sabè. Sabè was one of my handmaidens when I was queen on Naboo, she was also my bodyguard and my closest friend. She was killed shortly after you were born."

Wanting to lighten the mood, Luke pulled out the datapad he'd borrowed from Han the day before. He pulled up one of the holos and projected it into the air above the coffe table. His mother saw the image and gasped. "Where did you find that!"

Luke grinned at the surprise in his mother's voice. He'd displayed the image of her in the grey tunic first and it had obviously been the right choice. "I wondered about you so I did some research. This was in a file with a bunch of other info and holos."

The older woman reached out as if to thouch the image. "This was taken on Tatooine, I wonder who..." She shook herself visibly and took the databad from Luke, disrupting the image. "This was taken while I was stranded on Tatooine, I was playing my own handmaiden so I could follow Qui gon. I never liked letting other people take control of my life."

She scrolled through the data pad and displayed another image. This time it showed her in the red and gold gown with heavy facepaint. Much to Luke and Leia's surprise, she broke down laughing. The rich, clear sound filled the room, spreading to the twins, even though they weren't in on the joke.

"What is it, mother?"

Between giggles, she said, "That's not me... That's Sabè! They still can't tell the difference!"

Catching on, Luke and Leia quickly joined their mother in laughter. When they had finally calmed enough for rational conversation, Padmè continued to enlighten them.

"Sabè and I used to switch places in times of danger, to protect me. When we were all safe, Sabè stayed near Queen Amidala, as her protection, and Handmaiden Padmè would be sent on errands for her Queen. When there was danger, Padmè came back while Sabè went on errands. The deception saved me a number of times. When my two terms ended as Queen and I became a senator, Sabè went on to other things, but Dormè stayed with me and we continued the ruse on occasion."

"And no one ever questioned this?" Luke asked.

"No. Who questions the Queen? Only myself and the handmaidens knew. My security didn't even know. It was my perogative to choose who would be my handmaidens. The women who would be confidants, advisors, and bodyguards. I chose for many reasons, but first and foremost I chose young women who bore a great resembelance to myself, phsically, that is. Any one of them could pass for me in a pinch, but Sabè was closest."

Luke was still unconviced. "I would think someone would have noticed."

Leia laughed at him. "Didn't you see all that facepaint? Who can tell under all that?"

"You are absolutely right, Leia. I claimed I wore it because it was traditional, and it was, but no ruler had worn it in centuries, before myself. Between it and the grandoise style gowns, it could have been anyone on the throne. I did not do anything lightly in those days, I was very thorough in my planning when I ran for Queen. The prvious two had died during their terms and I had no desire to continue in that tradition."

Leia hugged her again. "For which I am very grateful." She looked at Luke, then at her mother, making a decision, "So, did you want to leave today? I'll have to pack."


	5. Chapter 5 Difficult Decisions

Okay, all.  I am back with another chapter.  I'm going to fire Fred, I think.  First he inspires me to add more to this story, then he leaves on a long weekend before it is finished.  I'm sorry my updates are so erratic in coming.  Please bear with me and keep in mind that this was only two chapters long, originally.  I'm making the rest up as I go along.

I am long winded today, so If you want to skip the review replies and get right to the story, I put a bar between my replies and the actual chapter, so you can find it easy.

I'm not sure if I like the new editors here or not.  It isn't saving my seperating marks, although now it seems to be holding my carriage returns.  I used bars instead and I don't like the way tehy look.  Who knows?  You'll have to bear with me while I figure out the best way to work this.  It's either that or wait until I learn it before you get another chapter.  :-)

To all those who reviewed...

**k00lgirl1808:**  Always great to hear from you!  You're always the first to review my updates and that means a lot to me.  Thank You!

**SSG Michael B Jackson:**  As always, you flatter me!  My thoughts with Leia were that she hasn't seen her mother since she was very young, I'm thinking maybe three or four.  Considering, the last she knew her mother was dead, in the shock of seeing her again, I would think she would revert momentarily to childish phrases.  My only hold up was that I have no idea what the very young on Alderaan call their parents.  (If anyone has any ideas, I'm game!)  I grew up with a Mommy and a Daddy, myself.  Some of my friends had a Momma.  I'm sure there are many others, but I can't think of them off the top of my head.  I picked the one that seemed to fit the best out of the things I could come up with at the time.

I'm glad to hear it doesn't quite fit, though.  I will watch that in the future. 

**Rev042175:**  Aw, give them some bonding time before they start opening old wounds will ya?  :-)  That was a joke.  I did want to give them a Happy moment, they've got some serious issues coming up.  Don't worry though, the Vader issue is still coming.  Leia is not going to just let this sit.   Oh, and I'm glad you are looking forward to Naboo.  I've got some seriously sinister things planned for the poor planet. :-)

**Jokerisdaking:**  Sorry, I thought it was clear.  Padme already knows pretty much everything that happened during the trilogy.  She was keeping a distant eye on Luke and Leia the whole time and the events on the Death Star are pretty much common knowledge.  Thanks for the review, I'm glad you are enjoying this!

**Kazzy:**  I love the long reviews, you make me think about waht I'm writing so I can respond intelligently.  Okay, first things first, yes, Mike was talking about the Black Fleet Crisis trilogy, and his E-mail told me almost workd for word the same thing yours did. :-)  I think I'll take both of your advice and forget about it. :-)

What was your impression of Amidala?  Yes, most of my POV is slanted by a lack of information.  My education comes mostly from the public library and here in the Bible Belt scifi books are out numbered ten to one by quilting books!  I'm still not sure why because I only know a couple of people who actually quilt.  Anyway, I figured Amidala was the type of personality a young Leia would look up to.  She was brave, strong, and she fought agaist all odds to protect her people.  Plus, I was going for that whole 'the force works in mysterious ways and indirectly directed Leia to Amidala' thing.  :-)

I'm glad Kerine is going over so well.  She started as, well, wallpaper.  I really can't write Padme well without a 'handmaiden' character around so I put Kerine in.  Kerine, although I won't go into it much, sees people for who they are and she recognised Padme as a good person and so she has devoted her life to the former queen.  As for the rest of the galaxy, they won't show up much in this story.  Just Naboo for now, and well, you'll find out about that soon enough.

I had heard that the last ruler was a king, but I didn't know if it was 'official' or not.  What I read was that he was "Retired" for some white collar crime like Embezzaling and ended up dying under mysterious circumstances in a government supllied palace in the mountains.  The impression was given that Palpatine was responsible for the entire thing and he did it to get Padme into office because he thought he could control her.  I am choosing to selectively ignore bits of Naboo history, however, because I wasn't sure of their valididty and because they didn't fit my story.  :-) 

I truly don't know much about the time of the Prequels so you'll have to forgive my errors.  I fell asleap three times during the novelization of TPM and pretty much gave up on it after that.  I don't know how anyone could make such a story so terribly dull!  Fortunately, I have no intention of focusing on the past so hopefuly I won't offend anyone too much.

As for Naboo's acceptance of Padme, well the phrase Beloved Queen pretty much sums it up.  I don't know any but the most general information on the political structure of the planet, so I'll be making that up too.

Oh, and I know nothing about starting a campaign, but I'll gladly offer my support in what ever way I can!  :-)

**owphoenix: **Glad to hear from you!  I love everyone who reviews, and I need all the encouragement I can get!  Thankyou!

* * *

**Sorrow Multiplied**

Chapter 5

_"Your Majesty, I must leave. My husband has traced me to this place. I cannot, in good conscience, place you and your family in danger this way." Padmè was inside Bail Organa's Palace on Alderaan. Vader had finally traced her to this place, as she'd long known he would. The man, no, the monster, was ruthless but determined. He would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. _

_Bail spoke from his throne in the main audience chamber. It was an unconscious intimidation tactic but Padmè was one who would not be fooled by such things. She'd often used these very same means in her roles as Queen and Senator. The grandois chambers could not distract her from her goal. "Vader would not dare to invade us. Even if he has found you, you will be safe here."_

_Padmè shook her head, making her beaded braids jingle softly. "You do not know him as I do. He will stop at nothing to posses me. I will not be captured. There are too many who can be harmed with the knowledge I posses. I fear I would not withstand an interrogation by Vader._

_"Your fears are well founded, Amidala. But surely there is another way..."_

_"We are no longer headed for dark times, Your Majesty, the Darkness is here. It colors everything across the galaxy. So far, Alderaan has been immune to the disease, but it will not remain so if Vader comes here. The only way to prevent that is for me to leave." _

_"Surely he will just follow you. It would be suicide for you, then he will come here anyway. If she tells him you left, if she speaks to him of you at all..." Bail trailed off, knowing how disastrous it would be for Vader to speak to his daughter at all._

_Padmè lowered her head, her sorrow wighing heavily on her shoulders. "If I am to protect... those closest to me, I must disappear completely. Thank the skies that no one had figured out who I am here. That will make it easier for them to forget me."_

_Bail's face took on a stricken look at the thought that anyone could forget the mighty Queen Amidala so easily. It was unthinable that even her daughter would not know. She saw the look and laughed wryly. The sound was chilling and the cynical note froze Bail to the core._

_"Your naievete is charming, Bail. I have done things that I would far rather were forgotten. It truly is better this way. I will fade away, become a footnote in history. Perhaps if I disappear, my sins will not haunt her. She will be able to live her life withough any shadows, as your daughter. She will never be known as the decendent of the woman who created Vader. She will never know the shame of standing by and allowing this Empire to be created."_

_With each syllable, her voice had dropped and the last words were spoken in a near whisper. Bail stood and crossed the room to offer her what ever support he could. "This is not your burdon to carry, Amidala. If any of us are to blame, we all are. Any of us could have stopped this, could have stopped him, before it got this far. Most of us were too wrapped up in our own little squabbles to worry about the bigger picture."_

_Wrapping her slight frame in a friendly hug, the larger man offered what condoleces a friend could. Padmè was gratefull for the support, but refused to cry. She hadn't cried since the night he'd left her and she wasn't going to start now, in the company of friends. "Am I having delusions of grandeur again?"_

_Bail smiled at her attempt at levity and smothed back her braids. Despite being nearly thirty, she looked very much like a child in adults clothing. Bail Organa had known her since they were both young and yet he could only remember a few, rare moments when she'd actually appeared young. This woman had always been the image of strength, but recently a certain innocence had surrounded her. The innocence of grief and loss would make anyone appear a lost youth, he had finally surmised._

_"We all have those moments, dear Amidala. That's why we have friends."_

_Padmè pulled away and he released his hold on her. "Speaking of friendship, I have a favor to ask you."_

_"Anything." The current monarch told the former one, wondering when this had turned from a formal audience to a meeting between old friends._

_"Tell her I've died." Padm's face became hard, serious. "She's old enough to understand it and young enough to accept it. If she thinks I'm dead she'll accept my disappearence and your guardianship. With time, I will fade and you and Sachè will become her parents. If the force is with us, she'll not want to speak of me."_

_"And she won't mention her dead birth mother to Vader or anyone else by accident. I understand. And I think I can help with that part too."_

_Padmè stood on tip-toe to kiss his cheek. "I don't know what I'd do without you."_

_"You'd walk to Naboo." He told her firmly. "That is where you are going to meet him, isn't it?"_

_"Yes... But I couldn't take one of your ships..."_

_"Of course not, you're not a good enough pilot. I've found you a ride though. An old smuggler friend of mine named Redge is looking for a copilot, a pretty, human, female, copilot would make him exstatic."_

_Shock twisted her features. "Bail Antilles you should be ashamed of yourself..."_

_"Really, Amidala, where is your mind! When I said Redge was an old friend, I meant he was an _old_ friend. He just likes for other people to think he's still got... charm. I would never set you up for something like _that_ and you should know better."_

_Padmè looked appropriately rebuked. "My apologies. I do know you better than that. So this friend of yours is going to take me to Naboo?"_

_"Well, if you want to you can stay on as his permanent copilot. You won't have any control over what people think of you but..."_

_"But sometimes it's best to let them make up your cover story. I suppose I might as well. I really don't have any other plans. Do you think he'd be willing to stop by Tatooine on the way?"_

_Bail winked at her. "He will if that's where part of his most recent cargo is supposed to go."_

_"Good. I need to stop by and see an old friend." Padmè squared her shoulders. "I've already paked the few things I am taking with me, when can I meet my new employer?"_

_"Tonight, if you like. I can have the cargo loaded in a couple hours and If I tell him it's a rush job he'll take his alcohol to go."_

_Nodding sharply, she agreed. "As soon as possible then. Bail?"_

_He focused on her when she spoke his name. "What is it, Padmè?"_

_"Take care of her, please? Raise her to believe all the things we were supposed to believe in. Teach her the things we forgot so many times. Would you do this for me?"_

_"Of course, Padmè."_

_The former Queen smiled sadly, an expression she would wear far too often over the next few years. "Thank you. One day, if the force is with her, she will end this nightmare and save us all."_

* * *

They made plans to meet on Padm's ship the next day. The former queen had not been anywhere near Naboo since her "death" and she had no idea what to expect. Her home planet had pretty well disappeared shortly after Palpatine declared himself emperor. There hadn't even been any newsbytes from the planet in over twenty years. Padmè could only imagine what was going on there. She had seved as ruler of Naboo for years and had spoken for it's people in the galactic senate, but the planet's mysterious seclusion had her baffled. Ignoring the possibility that the Vader or Palpatine could have had something to do with it, she was finally returning in hopes that something of her home remained. 

It wasn't that she thought the planet destroyed, not in the sense that Alderaan had been, but who could know what the people there had been put through. Flashbacks of the Trade Federation's invasion of her homeworld kept running through her brain. Images of concentration camps, interrogation droids, flashes of people she cared for screaming in twisted agony swirled in front of her like some mad man's fantasy brought to life. If the Trade Federation could have done such things to her people, under their own will power, what could Vader and Palpatine have done, under the influence of the Dark Side? What would such atrocities have done to her people?

No, such thoughts were best left to another time, another place. The simplest reasons were usually correct, after all. Most likely her home had simply cut itself off to avoid being noticed. The past few years had been a nightmare, a living terror for most of the galaxy. Naboo had just seen it coming and done their best to avoid it, much the same way she, herself, had.

Pulling herself out of this thought loop, Padmè focused ont he controls in front of her. They wold be arriving in Naboo's system soon. She'd spent the entire trip so far telling her children how wonderful her home planet had been. Both twins had sat, enraptured, as she told the tales of Theed, and the lake country where she had spent her summers. She flatly refused to believe she was trying to make up for lost time when she spent hours detailing the house in the mountain country where she'd grown up.

The blinking navicomp brought her back to the moment again and she reached for the controls. Kerinè was quietly waiting for Padmè to give her instructions and Luke and Leia sat behind the two of them, waiting for their first view of Naboo.

Padmè directed the ship out of Hyperspace and, out of habit, had the navicomp do the calculations to jump back to lightspeed in case they neded to make a quick get away. When she realised what she'd done, she flushed and winced a bit, but when she looked back to se if her children had noticed, Leia's face was blank and Luke just nodded wisely. They had both noticed and had aparently done the same thing at some point. Turning back to the controls, she saved the data the naviconp gave her and reached for the comms.

"Naboo control, this is _Raven Maiden_, come in control."

The seconds it took for control to respond were pure torture. She almost believed, for an instant, that there would be no one there to answer. Then, a miracle happened.

"_Raven Maiden_, this is Naboo control. Is that you Redge?"

"Who's Redge?" Leia asked from the back seat.

Padmè turned to her sadly. "The kindest smuggler in the galaxy. I inherited this ship from him." She turned back to the comms. "Negative, control. This is his neice. I'm afraid Uncle Redge didn't make it back."

There was a burst of static, then, "Sorry to hear that hon, he was a good man."

Grinning, she replied, "Hey, just cause the man's dead, that's no reason to ruin his reputation!"

"Too right, my apologies. Where you headed?"

"Theed. Can you get me clearance?"

The voice on the other end hesitated for a moment. "Done. _Raven Maiden_, you are cleared to land in bay 117, Theed spaceport. Can I meet you for a drink once you're down?"

"Look me up in a couple of days. I got company."

"Will do! Control over and out." The voice on the other end said enthusiastically.

Luke spoke up from the back seat as she piloted the ship down the the planet. "Who's 'Uncle Redge?'"

"He was a very kind man who helped me hide after I faked my own death. He wasn't really my uncle, of course, but I called him that as sort of a cover." She smiled wryly. "Uncle Redge was an old man when I met him, far to old to have truly been my uncle. Most of the people who met me thought I was, well, his _companion_. I think Redge liked the idea that people thought that. At any rate, that was a safe thing for people to think. As long as they thought I was with him, they weren't thinking about other things or comparing me to old wanted posters." Padmè sighed thoughtfully.

"Apparently Redge made it to Naboo often enough to have made some friends here. I didn't know that." She shook herself mentally and smiled widely at her companions. "Well, are you ready to land?" The question was rhetorical, but everyone nodded just the same.

Flying low over the city, Padme was surprised to see it much the same as she had left it. It seemed the war hadn't made much of an impact on her home town at all. There was her favorite museum, and there was Theed Palace, in all it's glory. The streets were still planted with gardens and the stuning archetecture that had made the city famous long ago remained unmarred. She made the ship drop steeply as they approched the spaceport and she managed to drop the light freighter into it's berth with practiced ease.

She turned her chair around and regarded her children, who both seemed to be delighted. "Well, we're here." I don't know what we'll do now, she thought silently, but we're here.

"This city is beautiful!" Leia exclaimed, unfastening her saftey restraints. "I can't wait to get a closer look." Luke, who had stood at almost the same time, stopped her with a hand upon her shoulder.

"Leia, wait a moment."

She saw the intense look in his eyes and froze in place. He'd worn the same look the night he'd told her about her 'inheritance.' "Luke, what is it?"

"I hate to ruin the moment, but something has occured to me." He hesitated and Leia knew he didn't like what he was about to tell her. "People here are going to recognize Mother. She was their queen for two terms and their representative to the senate for several years. The people here also know who Father was..."

He trailed off and Leia sank back to her seat. "I hadn't thought of that..."

"If I may interrupt," Kerinè spoke up, "Am I to understand that you don't want the general public to know that you are related to the man who became Darth Vader?" At their nods, she continued. "Then your problem is solved. The people of Naboo do not know that Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader."

Leia looked up in surprise and Padmè nodded quickly. "She's right, she usually is. Aside from those you two have told, everyone who knows about Ani is either dead or sitting in this room."

Luke corrected her. "Actually, most everybody on Coruscant knows who my father was. I can't imagine why the news hasn't travelled any farther than that yet. It's Leia no one knows about."

The former pricess had buried her face in her hands and was sobbing quietly. Luke knelt and wrapped an arm around her shoulders in an attempt to comfort her.

"Leia, it will be okay. We'll figure this out."

She hiccoughed loudly. "No, it won't be. My Mother is really, (hic) trully, alive and I can't even tell anybody."

Leia shook her head and Padmè wanted to cry for her. This was what Anakin had been talking about. Her daughter refused to recognize her father and that was tearing her up inside. She loved her brother, and now her mother, but she couldn't get past the hatred of Vader. The only trouble was, the former queen had no idea what to do. Instead of acting, she stood back and allowed Luke and Leia some space.

Luke's face set, his features showed determination when he next spoke. "We won't tell them about Father. We'll do what we've been doing. You can tell every one that Mom is just your Mother." He looked up to the woman in question, as if to ask permission.

"What ever you think is best, Luke. I abandoned you both, I don't deserve any say in your lives."

"That's not fair to you Luke, not to you and not to Mom." Leia looked up at them with tears still running down her face. "Besides, they know about Father. They know about mother and he (hic) being married. The wedding was right here on Naboo. If I'm related to Mother..." She wiped her palms across her cheeks fiercely and sniffled.

Kerinè knelt in front of the young woman and handed her a kerchief. In that moment, the girl was all Leia could see or hear. The rest of the world faded away leaving her thinking clearer than it had been in a very long time. "It may not be my place to intterupt, but it sounds to me as if you have a decision to make. In my experience most people do not get the option of choosing their relatives, you are in a unique situation, Princess. You can choose to claim only your adopted family or your biological one. Families seem to be all or nothing though, and that makes the decision a difficult one."

Gazing into the clear, almost white, blue eyes in front of her, Leia had a moment of insight. "What would you do?"

The younger woman smiled and bowed her head briefly. "Your adopted family, though their past is clean, are dead. Your biological family may not be perfect, but they are surrounding you now. I have never had a family, for me there would be no decision to make. I would want to be with my loved ones."

Leia forced a smile and blotted her eyes. "I thought that is what you would say." Leia looked up at her brother, who was now standing, and her mother. "Let's go enjoy ourselves, the rest of the galaxy be damned."

Luke grinned and Padmè thought her heart would burst. Her daughter was willing to claim Darth Vader, just to be with her! Who could ask for a better homecoming than that?

* * *

Han Solo slammed his fist into the controls. Several buttons were pushed at once and the recorder rewound and played Leia's message one more time. 

_"Han; Luke, Mother, and I are going to her home planet for a few days. We'll all be back before too long. I would have come tell you in person, but we are leaving right away." Until now, the former princess had been speaking matter of factly, now her face came alive. "Luke told me he went to see you, can you believe it? She's still alive!" Leia was positively gleeful. "It is so wonderful, I can't wait for you to meet her."_

_Luke's voice could be heard from off screen but it was impossible to make out the words. "I have to go Han, I love you."_

The message ended again and this time the screen went blank. The old pilot ran one hand through his hair and considered the ramifications of punching the console again. After a moment he decided it only had one more good hit in it. He decided not to waste that on his own foolishness.

It was his own fault, really. If he would just make up his mind and ask her, he wouldn't be left wondering everytime something came up and one of them left. Now he was stuck on Coruscant with no place to go, and no reason to stay. For all he knew, she would never be back to him...

Han cut off that line of thinking before it could get a hold on him. Yes, she was gone, but she would be back. He didn't think he would be able to stand it if she didn't. The princess was irritating, abrasive, self absorbed, beautiful, kind, wonderful... and nothing like he had ever dreamed of. She was far from perfect but the old smuggler couldn't imagine ever being with anyone else.

But every time she left, he was sure she would find someone else, someone who was worthy of a princess. Someone who wasn't an out of work smuggler.

Han gave in and started pacing. He was sorely tempted to hit something or throw something else, but he resisted the temptation. The _Falcon_ was in bad enough shape with out him breaking things. Running through his entire repetiore of swear words, Han marched into the lounge. Sitting on the holochess table was the datapad he and Luke had been using the day before. Han recalled the last article they had accessed and an image of Queen Amidala was displayed. Scrolling through the article, not really reading it, Han noticed the coordiantes were listed for Naboo. Staring at the series of numbers, he had a sudden epiphany and dashed for the cockpit. In minutes, he had filed a flight plan and gotten clearence form traffic control to take off.

Han Solo was not going to sit around and wait for her to come back to him, he was going to find her. And this time, he wasn't going to let her go until he'd asked her a question.


	6. Chapter 6 Was it all for Nothing?

Hi again. Sorry about the long time between posts. My boss seems to think that if I want a pay check I should actually show up at work occasionally. Having a job is seriously cuttin' into my sittin' around time. :-) I'm long winded again today, (seems to be a charater flaw) so I put a bar at the start of the actual story if you want to skip all my responses and get right to it. See, I look after my lurkers! :-)

I always respond if do you leave a review, so here are my responses. :-)

**k00lgirl1808:** I can find lots of good books, it's the best ones that elude me. Fortunately, I learned very young that if you make nice with the librarian, she'll be very helpful. :-)

**Mike:** Ah, so that's where Fred disappeared to! I wondered where he could possibly go on vacation. :-) Seriously, though, If I didn't know better I'd swear you were reading my mind. Am I becoming predictable? I'll have to tell Fred so we can work on that.

Sorry about the errors, My computer is junk (literally) and I can't run any word processing programs more sophisticated than Wordpad. That, unfortunately, means no spellcheck. I have my trusty dictionary, though and that helps. I won't say much about Han, I like surprises, but I think you have been spying on me cause I edited the very scene you mentioned as a suggestion the day before I read your review. Oops, I hope that's not a spoiler! Oh, well.

**Beorthryth:** I couldn't help but remember that the only mention of Padme's death was the one scene at the end of ROTJ. Even then it was just Leia saying "She died when I was very young." It happens all the time that someone is belived dead when they are really not. Even the IRS messes that up. :-)

As for Padme and Redge, well, there really isn't much there. He was nice to her when she needed a friend. Remember, Padme picked up Kerine on her own just a few years after she "died" (that's not a spoiler, I already posted that!)

**Kazzy:** I like reading your "books" it reminds me to think about what I'm writing. Palpatine was a braggart. He wouldn't have eliminated al evidence of Padme, she got him elected supremem chancilor, she got him started!

Keeping in mind that Palpatine would want to flaunt his victory, he probably wouldn't have edited much about her at all. That means that her views and opinions would also have been made publick knowledge. Think of it this way, Padme called for a vote of no confidence in chancilor Valorum because she felt he wasn't able to uphold the values of the old republic, that made room for Palpatine who went on to destroy the old republic. I think Palpatine would have loved the irony. He is the one who tried to get Luke to kill his own father, after all.

Also, Padme was against creating an army of the republic. Once he had been granted emergency powers byt he senate (an action started by Jar Jar Binks, if you remember) that army was what enabled him to destroy those who objected to him keeping that power. Yes, Padme got him started, but aside from making a space in the senate for him, she really didn't do anything else to help him and was actively against him in many instances.

(and you thought you were long winded!:-)

I really wasn't sure on Bail, so far he doesn't really even have much of a character. I had to draw on what Leia's reactions and opinions have been and use that to infer the way he must have been. It's repeatedly been said (not cannon) that Liea was very close to her adoptive father.

This fic seems to be all about guilt, I'm not entirely sure how that happened, but it seems to be working. Naboo, well, that info is coming up, well get back to it in a couple of chapters. Leia is becoming a challenge. I think I'm walking a fine line with her. On one hand she has a lot do deal with right now, so she's going to be a little (a lot)emotional, but ont he other hand she can't be too obvious about it.

**REV042175:** I relly like doing my backstory that way. it makes it more intersting for me. :-) I've never written Bail before and I've never read him before he adopted Leia, so I'm glad I got it right. Han and Padme, well... it's coming, I won't tell you more than that, but I will admit I've done some foreshadowing. If you want to scour the story looking for it.

* * *

**Sorrow Multiplied**

Chapter 5

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Kerinè begged out of the sight seeing trip, claiming she had work to do on the ship. Padmè knew the girl simply didn't want to intrude on a family outing and vowed to make it up to her one day. In the mean time, she was going to take advantage of the time she had with her children. All too soon they would both have to go back to their jobs and their homes and she would hardly see them. She knew as well as anyone, Senators and Jedi are busy people.

Stepping quickly down the ramp, Leia reached the bottom and turned to watch her mother decend. Padmè stepped gracefully toward the ground, looking every bit as reagle as her holos even without the extravagent costume. She was flanked by Luke who almost looked like a guard in his black ensemble. Leia was wearing the yellow sundress again, but she vowed to purchase some new clothes today. It was time she had some casual outfits again.

Leia giggled childishly and took her mother's hand. Together, the three of them headed for the bank of speeders that Padmè knew would be waiting just outside the spaceport. Something was wrong, though. She hadn't often used this particular spaceport, but she definitely remembered it being busier than this. In fact, the place seemed desserted.

The bank of speeders she'd remembered being outside was reduced to three bored looking drivers. She led her children trepidaciously to the first one to notice them and he gestured for them to climb inside. He didn't speak untill they were all seated.

"So, where to?"

That was a good question. Padmè thought for a moment then told him "Theed Palace. I know my way around from there and I know several places we can go in that part of the city."

The driver looked at her skeptically. "You sure you want to go to the old palace lady? There's not many that go there anymore."

"Yes, I'm sure. I grew up here, I'm not just any tourist. I haven't been back in a long time, but I do know my way around."

He startd the cab and the car lifted into the air. "Whatever you say lady, you're the one paying the fare."

Though the driver's words had an ominous ring to them, Padmè chose to ignore the sense of dread that was trying to form in her belly. She ruthlessly beat at the emotion until she had nearly burried it, then turned to the window to play tour guide for her children.

"You really have to see it from the ground to appreciate everything. This city was designed to be run with a very low level of technology, or, at least, that is the way it is supposed to appear. Everything is truly up to date, but my ancestors, the ones who built this city, liked the feel of the more ancient civilizations."

Listening to her, the driver turned back to look at her again. "You seem familiar, do I know you lady?"

"I'm sorry, I don't recognize you. It is very possible though, I've met a great many people in my life. My name is Padmè Amidala Skywalker. What is yours?"

Luke was glad the car seemed to be on autopilot because the driver wasn't doing much driving, he was too busy staring at Padmè.

"Your Highness? Is it really you? I thought you were dead!"

She managed a smile for the driver. "A great many people have lost their lives in recent years. I was not one of them, although I do believe another now holds the title of 'your highness.'"

The driver shook his head and turned back to his controlls. "No, no one has since Queen Jamilla's second was killed. He only held the office for two weeks. We never held another election after Palpatine... Well, you know."

Padm's face had turned ashen and Leia took her hand in support. "Who is controlling the government?"

"Wow, you've really been out of touch, your highness. There is no government, at least, there's none to speak of. The Guard are still going and many of the old leaders are still around, keeping things up. Mostly, we've just been hanging on by threads."

The speeder settled in front of the Palace and Padmè was shocked at how empty the street was. The driver turned back to look at her.

"You would think with out a government, there would be chaos. But for the most part life just goes on as usual." He stopped there, though he kept looking over his shoulder, as if he wanted to say more..

The former queen was just shaking her head slowly, as if to deny the man's words. When she finally spoke, it was in the barest of whispers. "All my work... Everything we accomplished... Was it all for nothing?"

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Padmè paid the man and the group headed for the steps of the palace. The driver had tried to refuse payment, but she wouldn't have it. She insisted, telling him that she was no longer queen, that she was just an ordinary citizen and that he'd done her a great service by catching her up as well as by driving them to this place.

"It's the least I can do." She'd told him, and he'd finally relented. One just didn't say no to the greatest Queen their planet had ever had.

Climbing the steps of the great Theed Palace, Padmè was assaulted by memories. The most vivid was the peace celebration held every year on the anniversarry of the Battle of Naboo. Every year she had officiated the ceremonies from these steps. Every year she'd also flashed back to the first celebration, the last time she'd seen Anakin before he went to Coruscant to become a Jedi...

She shook her head to rid herself of that train of thought. They were approaching the main doors and there might not be anyone here who would recognize her. She would need all of her concentration, Padmè Amidala Skywalker was dead along with most of the people she had known.

With Luke on her left and Leia on her right, Padmè ascened the final stairs without fear, only to discover that there was no door guard. "In my day, even if the streets were desserted, we still would have posted a guard. I wonder if something is wrong..."

Luke rested on hand on his lightsabre for a moment, then let it drop. "I don't think anything is wrong. This places feels sad, but safe."

"Sad?" Padmè asked of him.

"It feels lonely, like something is missing. But there is no malice here."

Padmè looked to her daughter who shrugged dismissively. "He's the psychic here. If Luke says it's okay, it probably is."

"Leia!" her brother cried, sounding hurt.

The Princessess face set stubbornly and Luke looked away. Her hand on his arm made him glance back at her and he let her smile pass for an apology. He never could stay mad at her and right now he knew she was hurting far more than she was letting show. For months now he'd been able to sense her feelings and she his, though he was certain her connection wasn't as strong as his.

Padmè watched their exchange silently and couldn't help but radiate pride. Despite only having known each other a short time, both her children were as close as if they had grown up together. They had been able to get past, not only their own differences, but all the obstacles the galaxy had thrown in their way, and form a good relationship.

"Well, I suppose we won't find out until we go inside." She told her children as she reached for the door handle. The huge door swung inward easily to reaveal a slightly dusty main hall. Swollowing hard, Padmè stepped across the threshold. The once beautiful hall was dusty and falling into disrepair. The statuary was crubling from lack of care and dirt filled in many of the carvings on the walls. It seemed that this building was hardly used at all anymore.

Leia pointed to the floor just in front of them. "Look, there are footprints in the dust. It looks like someone goes through here quite frequently."

"Well, let's find them, whomever they are." Padmè said, stepping along the path in the dust.

The path led them down many corridors, through another huge hall, past what Luke recognized as a stripped out hanger and into an official looking part of the building. There was more evidence of occupation here. The floors had obviously been swept and mopped recently and the layer of dust was very light indeed. They were rounding one more corner when Padmè found herself looking at the business end of a blaster.

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When security systems alerted her to an intruder, Telia immediately checked the survelance systems. If the intruders were just kids goofing off or a lost tourist or two, she would be able to take care of it herself. But if it was something more she wasn't even going to announce her presence. There were secret passages all over the palace just for that purpose. She wasn't as young as she had once been and she had no intention of trying to hold off an army on her own.

Luck was on her side, however Security told her the intruders were three humans, two female, one male. Most likely kids entering on a dare or out-of-towners looking for a souvenier from the 'abandoned' palace. Either way they should be easy enough to chase off. She turned on one of the displays to try and guage her approach. If they were tourists, it wouldn't do to scare them, on the other hand she wanted to scare the pants off them if they were kids looking for thrills.

While she was waiting for the impossibly old monitors to warm up, Telia pulled her long red hair into a loose bun and wrapped a dark robe around herself. She would look professional enough to politely detour tourists and the dark color would blend into the shadows if she needed to frighten the kids. The picture finally resolved and she absently reached for a clip board, noticing that the intruders were adults...

She did an abrupt double-take. It was like looking at one of the old security holos, except she knew the equipment that would play those had been sold long ago. Telia shook herself and looked again. No, it wasn't an old holo. The woman in the lead was much older than the person Telia had mistaken her for and the two others were strangers, though the man carried himself like a jedi and that yellow dress could be a handmaidens robe, minus the hood...

_Only one way to find out_, she surmised, heading for the door.

On closer inspection, in the shadows that the camera had eliminated, Telia was more convinced than ever that she must have finally gome crazy from living alone too long. On an impulse, she lept out of the shadows and pointed her blaster, which she always carried, at the air. In another second, the group had rounded the corner and the woman whom Telia could have sworn she had met before, was looking straight into her sights.

As she had thought, the man ignited a lightsabre and the woman produced a blaster from nowhere. For another minute, the tableux held, Telia not lowering her blaster nor firing it, the other two holding at the ready. Finally, she could take no more and Telia spoke.

"You, milady, look far too much like a ghost for my taste. State your name and your business here."

The mystery woman stood proudly despite the blaster, or maybe because of it, and responded exactly as Telia had expected her to.

"My name, is Padmè Amidala Skywalker and I am here to seek answers."

Telia lowered her blaster. "Well then, welcome home milady."

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Padmè had no idea what to expect when she had entered the palace. Judging by it's emptieness, she'd expected disrepair. As she and her family had progressed farther into the building, she'd begun to lose all hope of actually finding anybody here. The building was too far gone to still be in use. It was useable, but not for much longer if it didn't get some care.

At every corner, the former queen saw ghosts. Images of the past played out before her eyes, scenes only she could see. She'd spent ten years of her life living here and had spent the following years travelling between this palace and Coruscant. Her entire life had been in these very rooms for so long, and now they were vacant, empty, dead. She had once thought it would be strange to come back in twenty years and find these rooms populated with new people, new furnishings. Finding them empty was far worse.

Only, as it turned out, the space was not empty. Padmè thought herself unbelievably lucky for an instant, then her brain registered the blaster. She heard her children ready themselves for battle behind her and decided to play royalty for the time being. The woman in front of her was still young and she might be easily intimidated. If that was the case she could be helpful. If not, Padmè would at least serve as a distraction so her children could incapacitate the woman.

Ready for anything, when the woman accused her of being a ghost, Padmè took it as a sign that the girl recognised her, or had, at least, seen holos of her. She though rapidly, searching for the response the naive fourteen year old queen would have given. Wincing inwardly, though she allowed no such emotion to reach her face, the now world-wise woman answered. "My name, is Padmè Amidala Skywalker and I am here to seek answers."

Amazingly, the stranger accepted this answer and lowered her blaster. Now that she was not faced with emminent death, Padmè studied the girl more closely. Red hair was not unheard of among her people, but it was uncommon enough to take note of. The 'girl' turned out to be much older than she had initially appeared, at least in her third decade, and her loose robe concealed a well muscled frame. As the woman moved, Padmè noted a leaness that was not purely from exercise. The kind of build you see most often in wild animals during the month just before spring. The woman responded, not surprisingly, with, "Well then, welcome home milady."

Hearing Luke shut down his 'sabre, the former queen fought not to breath a sigh of relief, wondering momentarily where her control had gone. Surely she wasn't becoming soft...

Shaking off the irrelevent thought, she extended a hand to the stranger in front of her. The woman, in a show that Padmè had half expected when she'd used the phrase 'milady,' kissed the hand instead of shaking it.

"Milady, it is good to have you back here. You cannot imagine the plight that has befallen us in recent years."

"I think I can imagine." Padmè said wryly, gesturing toward a door that was hanging by only it's latch; the hinges having long ago deteriorated. "Please, what is your name, miss?"

The woman shook her self. She stopped to gaze around the hallway before she answered, as if she expected someone else to answer for her. "I am Telia Nor Fillia. I have been caring for the palace since the guard became too few in number to spare a team to do the job."

Leia stepped forward, her blaster had once again vanished and Padmè guessed, with some pride, that Leia was wearing one of the many 'accesories' that she and her handmaidens had so often employed. A holster that could be hidden invisibly beneath a gown, sometimes on the leg, thigh, or back. Padmè owned one to go with every outfit.

"Can you fill us in on what has happened over the past few years, Miss Nor Fillia?" She asked the young woman.

"Please, call me Telia." She tucked her waepon into an arm holster and turned toward the hallway behind her "Come, I'll make tea and we can talk."

All three family members exchanged glances, then followed her. Telia led the way through several hallways to a quarters whose previous occupant Padmè couldn't remember. The quarters were large enough to make a suitable apartment, but they had been filled with old security equipment. When they had filed in, Telia quickly moved several pieces off a small table and the corresponding chairs.

They were pieces too, literally. Not a single one could function on it's own. She had apparently been taking apart several items in an attempt to use the parts to build something else. Luke settled on a chair and examined the pile next to it while Telia was otherwise occupied making tea.

"Mom, Leia, look at this," he whispered. "She's building a security droid, and I think it will actually work."

Leia whistled appreciatively. "Wow, and I thought she was crazy. Can you be crazy and be a genius?"

"Why? What does that mean?" Padmè asked.

Luke raised an eyebrow. "Do you have any idea the kind of talent it takes to build a droid from spare parts? I mean sure, a basic, one motion machine is easy, but to build an entire, working, thinking droid, by yourself? I recognize some of these things, and none of them are new. It looks like she's working with scrap."

"Is that so amazing? I mean with lots to work from you could build most anything, couldn't you?"

Luke stared at her and Leia shook her head in disbelief. "No, Mom, it's not that simple."

But Leia didn't get to explain, because the subject of their discussion came back with tea. "I'm terribly sorry, but I cannot offer you any refreshments. I'm afraid I'm fresh out."

"That is quite all right, Telia." Luke said. "I noticed you're working on a droid, how is it coming?"

The woman spoke slowly, focusing on the cup she was trying to pour into. "It's not easy, guarding someplace this big alone. I thought I could do it better with some help. It's not easy though, half the parts I need are the ones that people only threw out the stuff because that's the part that broke. I'm having a terrible time finding the right power convertors."

Something didn't ring true for Padmè, "If I remember correctly, the palace had a lot of automatic defences and a very good security system, why does everything fall to you?"

"Sold it. They tore it all out and sold it. Good system, got a good price for it. I put in a new one, though. It's slow, not as good, but it works."

"_This_ is the palace security system?" Leia asked incredualy. "We had better equipment in the rebellion." She saw the stricken look on the woman's face and ammended her statement. "We had a lot more to work with. Our techs could never had put this together."

The woman beamed with pride and Leia breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing she wanted to do was upset the person who was most likely to be able to help them figure out what was going on. The princess had never visited this planet before but something was terribly wrong here. It was as if, all of a sudden, the people had stopped caring what happened to them. Leia had seen such symptoms before, in the lives of people being treated for attempted suicide, but never in an entire population.

Telia smiled and said, "This is nothing, truly. I like to take things apart. I'm sure your people are good at what they do."

"Spoken like a true diplomat. Are you sure you are not a senator?" Padmè asked her, half in jest. She was still convinced the woman was half crazy.

She shook her head. "No, Milady. My mother worked with palace security so I grew up around diplomats, but I never was one." She bowed her head sadly. "I was still too young when Vader killed the Queen. There was no government left after that."

Luke laid one hand on her arm, catching her attention. "I'm sorry, I know this is hard for you. It is very difficult for us, as well. But we need to know what happened. What can you tell us about that time?"

Telia looked up and nodded, as if agreeing with him. "It is an honor to be able to help Her Majesty." She took a deep breath and spoke as if telling a story.

"Shortly after Palpatine effectively ended the Clone Wars by declaring himself Emperor, Vader came here looking for you, Milady. He held the entire court hostage for hours, I'm not sure what hapened during that time, I was but a child then and no one wanted to tell me the details."

"Trust me, Telia, that tells us more than your description possibly could." Leia said wryly.

"Well, during that time, Queen Jamilla died. They said that Vader had killed her because she wouldn't tell him where you were. Vader left and her second in command took control. He even set a date for another election, but it never happened. After only couple of weeks, Vader returned with an army to storm troopers. They stormed the palace, killing everyone. He was so angry, every where he walked you could feel it. It was like the air took on an electric charge."

Luke nodded knowingly. "He still didn't have control. The Dark side can be very powerful. Although, with his emotions controlling him like that it's a wonder his could function at all."

"He probably couldn't." Padmè said. "When Ani broke down, he went all the way. I've only ever seen him that upset twice and both times he couldn't even speak. He was never good at control, even Obi-wan couldn't teach him that."

"You are right, Milady." Telia informed them. "Vader didn't say anything the entire time he was here. He just came in and killed everyone who was here. Every adult, that is, he saw me, but he didn't even attempt to hurt me. It was like I wasn't even there. Did you know he had blue eyes?"

The light comment surprised Luke and Padmè, who nodded in amswer. Leia had turned away when her mother said the name 'Ani' and hadn't seemed to involve herself in the conversation since. Now, she looked back and glared at the woman in disgust. "How would you know what color his eyes were?"

"I could see them. I remembered because I have never seen so much pain in anyone before. His face looked angry, but his eyes looked sad."

"Leia, that was before he fell in the Volcano. Your father did not wear all that armor by choice, you know this right?"

"Of course I knew that, mother." She responed indignantly.

Padmè could see the confusion and anger in her daughter's eyes. She understood that feeling. How could the monster I hate so much have eyes, have feelings. Leia did not want Vader to be a human being. It was easy to hate an object, or a monster, but it was much harder to be angry at a person. And Leia was not yet ready to let go of her anger.

"Leia, He was a person. You can be angry at him all you want. It's okay, be furious, hate him even." Padmè turned quickly to Luke, who had opened his mouth to protest. "Not one word of Jedi wisdom, Luke. I know the lines, but your sister is not a Jedi." She turned back to Leia, who was glaring defiantly.

"Leia, sweety, it is okay to hate him, but you have to accept him. You have to accept who he was, what he was, so you can move on. I understand, you had to do what ever it took to keep going during the war. And that included denying the truth when that truth would disable you, however temporarily. But now you have to accept what was, so you can move on."

Leia shook her head. "It's easier when he's a faceless monster."

Luke grinned at her. "Since when have either of us ever done anything the easy way?"

When she laughed, he grinned wider and Padmè breathed a sigh of relief. At this moment, she was rather upset with her husband as well. It wasn't fair of him to leave her this mess. He made his daughter hate him and now it was up to Padmè to save the girl. He'd even asked her to do it himself.

_Not that I wouldn't be here anyway. I was already on planet when he came, but still..._ She shook herself from that line of thought, knowing it wouldn't do for Luke or Leia to pick up on those emotions. It was only an idle thought, she truly loved her children and her husband, dead or not. She turned back to Telia, who was sitting quietly and sipping her tea.

"What happened after Vader left the second time?"

"People came and burried the dead. There was one big funeral, for everybody. My mum got this big bouquet of flowers by her marker and they gave me her medal. There was a lot of people talking, everyone cried alot, and the palace stayed empty. The guard took care of it all for about ten years, but funds were running low. People stopped paying taxes and guard members got tired of looking after an empty building. One day, no guard team came to relieve the shift that was leaving.

"I was cleaning some of the carvings when the last team just left. They just walked out and none have been back. I stayed and waited for the next team to come, but they never showed up. A few days later I moved in." She shrugged her shoulders.

"I guess people just stopped caring. Vader killed everone, all of our leaders. Without them, the local govenors did not have a direction and soon they lost all control of the people. Voting day came and went and nobody ran for any office. That was okay, I suppose, because nobody tried to vote anyway. The stopped maintaining the parks and museums, then they stopped caring for the roads. Later, stores started closing and nobody opened any new ones."

When Telia stopped, Padmè asked a question that had been bothering her for some time. "What happened to the gungans?"

"I'm not sure. They all went into hiding when the leaders were killed. Every Gungan in the city left that day and no one has seen one since. I assumed they went back to their underwater cities."

"Mother," Luke asked, "what is a Gungan?"

lolololololololololololololololol

While Padmè explained to her son about the other race that inhabited their beautiful planet, Telia excused herself from the conversation. She needed to think.

When she had first encountered this strange trio, Telia had assumed Padmè was travelling with a handmaiden and a Jedi as protection. But to find out that these two were her children? Who could have guessed. And the way the Queen had talked about Vader, as if she knew him...

That meant the rumors were true, Queen Amidala _had_ married that monster. That would mean these two were the children of Vader. For years she had hated Vader for destroying her home, now she was helping his children to restor her planet. Wasn't irony wonderful?

Telia knew that they would restore Naboo. They hadn't said a single word about it yet, but she knew, deep down, they would. It was only right and fitting for Vader's family to restore what he had destroyed, demolished, torn apart.

But even as she was thinking about how her home would be put back together again, a tiny voice inside whispered that the children of Vader were dangerous. The one was already a Jedi, like Vader was before he turned. These two could also be turned. Leia was certainly angry enough. When they had been talking, she had watched Leia intently and seent eh anger and hurt in her face. For just a momment, she'd looked just like Vader had, that day he'd massacred everyone in the palace.

Luke looked just like him too. Leia only resembled him when she was angry, but Luke could have _been_ Vader. Who was to say that the resemblance was only physical? And who would control these two? If she helped them in their quest to restore her home would they end up destroying it completely?

But her home had many more problems than most of it's occupants, even those that claimed to care, were willing to admit. The bigger question was, could she afford _not_ to help them?


	7. Chapter 7 Late Night Discussions

_The space port on Alderaan was not as busy nor as noisy as many of the places Padmè had been over the years, but it came very close. Everywhere there were beings, tallking, singing, laughing, bartering, and simply living. Beings of all races, species, and religions liging and working in harmony with each other. It wasn't a utopian situation, far from it. But at least each was allowed to make their own life, set their futures up as best they could amidst bustling crowds._

_A Dug stumbled out of a tavern near the entrance to the Spaceport and slammed another being in a dark cloak against a wall in his haste. Padmè winced within her own concealing garment. The crowd proceded to walk over the small being until it stood and growled at a particularly loud group. After that, the crowds parted around the little guy until it had righted itself and continued on it's way. _

_Though she was no longer the naive fourteen year old who had crash loanded on Tatooine all those years ago, it was still all she could do to keep from getting herself in trouble. A moment ago she'd nearly stopped to help that little creature who'd nearly been trampled. If she had, it pobably would have killed her before it even recognised her as a benefactor. Even if she had survived the encounter such an action would have drawn unwanted attention to herself. Now, she was stumbling around the spaceport looking for the bay number Bail had given her. _

_Slipping into an unoccupied corner, Padmè pulled a tiny datapad out of the pocket in her sleeve and concealed it in her hand while she studied the display. The bay she was looking for should only be a few more slots away. With her head bowed, the former queen stumbled and staggared down the street, trying to make herself appear both taller and meaner than she actually was while at the same time pretending she was a bit drunk. She'd been told long ago that no one would try to steal from a drunk, they never had anything that was worth the trouble. It seemed the remaining meters to the correct bay took hours to traverse, though it had probably only been a few minutes._

_Arriving at her destination, Padmè slipped into the bay as inconspicuously as possible. She strode confidantly toward the ship. The light freighter was of an indeterminant design and, from it's blocky shape, had probably been patched together from a half a dozen different ships. The boarding ramp was down when she approached and Padmè headed straight for it, hoping to get out of sight quickly. One never knew if an imperial spy might be watching. It was too much to hope that Vader hadn't sent anyone ahead to make sure she stayed put._

_Unfortunately, in her haste to be out of sight, she missed the telltale that said a security system was in operation. She no sooner had both feet of the ramp then a siren sounded and a mechanical voice warned her not to move or she would be subject to turbocannon fire. Both feet planted firmly on the floor, Padme froze every muscle in her body, not daring to even exhale. Through the interminable seconds that followed Padmè faught desperately with her own body. _

I'm at a diplomatic function, _she thought to herself._ If I make even a subtle movement it might be misinterpreted. I have to stay still. I have to pay attention. I can't let my guard down even for a moment...

_It worked, and in a few moments the siren was silenced and an aging human male trotted down the ramp to her. "You can move now. Wasn't expectin you so soon, or I'da been here to meetcha."_

_Padmè breathed a long sigh of relief and stepped forward to greet the man, who was apparently Redge. "Thank you. Bail sent me, I'm..."_

_"I know who you are missy. Bail told me he was sending a _friend_ of his. Said you was green, but you can fly."_

_She stared to nod sharply, then realized he couldn't see it under her thick hood. "Yes, sir."_

_"Name's Redge, remember it cause I ain't gonna say it again." He turned toward the doorway left by the lowered ramp. "C'mon, let's see what you can do."_

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That night, long after her children had gone to bed, Padmè sat on her balcony and stared out at the garden as she had so many nights past. The balcony overlooked a courtyard, in the center of the Palace and in the dark she could almost imagine that nothing had changed. In the past, this particular space had been filled with trees and raised beds of blossoms. In the wintertime, she had often enjoyed the snow here where her security didn't rush her indoors everytime a bird chirped. She remembered snowfights with Sabè and Sachè, the only two of her handmaidens who were willing to participate. She remembered dragging everyone out here for picnics on holidays, when she wasn't required for some ceremony. She remembered late-night, moon lit walks while he whispered jokes into her ear...

No matter how many times she forgave him, the memories still hurt. When she was with Luke and Leia, it was easy to talk about him, but when she was alone like this the memories drew streaks of ice across her skin, sometimes cutting through to her heart. Sitting alone and staring at the stars, new memories surfaced. Instead of seeing him chase glowbugs in the courtyard, she saw herself crying, alone, on a balcony on Alderaan. Images of the star-lines of hyperspace swirling while she imagined where her children might be right then passed her eyes like a morbid scrapbook. A senator who was married to a Jedi expects to spend some lonely nights, waiting for him to come home or waiting to return herself. Never had she imagine so many lonely nights were in store for her.

Nor had she imagined just how lonely being alone could be. It seemed the more one tried to remember the good times, the more nightmares emerged from her subconscious to plauge her. Like the clock slowing perversely when one was waiting for something, then speeding unexpectedly when one wanted to savor the moment. Sometimes fate could be cruel indeed.

Padmè gave up on the stars and the gardens and went inside. She'd seen far too many stars over the years and the garden had long since grown over. Instead, she went to their kitchen to make some tea.

It seemed tonight was the time for musing, for the kitchen was already occupied by her son, who was doing just that. She walked in to find him sitting at the table in his sleep clothes, a mug of something fragrant cupped in both hands.

"Tea?" She asked him.

"Tea. Would you like some?" Luke asked, standing to fetch it before she could respond.

"Yes, please." With the cup settled on the table, warming her fingers, Padmè started to relax. Or perhaps it was her son's presence that calmed her. They sat in comfortable silence for sometime, neither needing to speak and both caught up in their own thoughts.

"Luke, can I ask you a question?" She said suddenly.

He sat up straighter, as if to prove she had his full attention. "Of course."

"It's Leia, is she okay?" Padmè had worried about her daughter many times over the years, but Leia's recent behavoir didn't seem to fit with what she'd thought she knew of her daughter.

"Why do you ask?" Luke responded, not sure what the right answer was. Yes, Leia was fine, physically. She was not in any kind of leagal or political trouble, though she might be when word of who her father was got out...

He'd tried to control his face, but a mother always knows. Padmè saw the brief flash of concern in his eyes and pressed her question. "I know this all must be difficult for her, but I still feel that Leia is acting a little strangely. It hurts to say this, but you know her better than I do..."

Luke did not make her trail off, he picked up the question quickly. "And I would know if she was behaving strangely. The truth is, I'm not sure." He sipped his tea, looking for the right words. "A week ago, I would have said yes, there is something wrong. But now? I'm just not sure."

"What changed?" Padmè watched her son with interest, hoping together they would be able to help Leia.

Luke set his mug down and thought for a moment. "When I first met Leia, I found her in a detention bay on the first Death Star. She was schedualed to be executed. I walked in wearing a storm trooper uniform and she immediately started insulting me." He grinned at he memory. "Then she rescued Han and I and immediately thereafter helped to command a major space battle."

He looked, to Padmè, as if he wanted to fidget. This conversation was bothering him as much as it was her. She didn't interrupt though, he was coming to a point soon, she hoped.

"Leia has always been the strongest person I knew. No matter what was happening, she was always calm, always sure of the right course of action. Everyone called her Princess, even after Alderaan was gone, but she was never anything like what I thought of as a princess. It wasn't untill a short while ago I realised what she did... took a toll on her. She was wearing herself out. I guess, in order to be so perfect, so in control, she had to forget about herself. Recently she stopped eating and she wasn't sleeping well. I think she'd finally had one too many personal problems to just push them aside."

Padmè knew, she'd lived that. "All the things she woldn't let herself worry about started wearing at her, didn't they? She tired to bury herself in her work to avoid them but that just wore her out physically. It didn't solve the problem."

Luke nodded. "Finally, just before you arrived, Han and I bullied her into taking a vacation, on the condition that I was to go with her. But then you came back, and that added one more emotion to the mix. Leia just kind of broke down."

He stood and took his cup to the sink and returned to the table. "I'm worried about her too, but at the same time I'm glad. I don't think she'll ever be the same person she was during the war, but maybe that is a good thing. Leia's more real now, like she was just a holo before and now she's a real person."

Padmè smiled, knowing Luke was worried she would be upset with him for feeling that way. "I understand. It's hard when you care so much about some one and they don't seem to care about anything, not even themselves."

"Exactly. I used to wonder if she had any emotions at all. But then, of course, I got to know her and I knew differently. But she still kept everything bottled up inside. I think part of the reason she's letting some of those things out now is because you are here."

"What do you mean?"

Luke shook his head. "You have no idea how much it means to both of us that you are here. The past few years we've both felt a little lost. I used to think that's why we seemed to connect so well. Leia lost every one she knew when she lost Alderaan. After Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen died I did not have anything to tie me to Tatooine. It just seemed like I had no ties to anything, anywhere. Then I started training with Yoda, and that was something. Then I found father and I had connections again, but it didn't mean anything because it wasn't quite real.

"All that time, Leia had nothing. She had no past, she couldn't foresee a future past the war because she had nothing to go home to anymore. I think she was fighting strictly for revenge for a while there. But the war ended and she had no focus. It was just one more thing she lost."

"She had you." Padmè interrupted.

"But she didn't. She didn't have me for the same reason I never had Father. I was there but suddenly I was off limits. She couldn't admit to her relationship to me without admitting to father too and Leia just couldn't do that. She still can't."

"But on the ship..."

"On the ship she made the decision to, but that came from emotions. It still isn't real for her."

Padmè lowered her face and stared at the table. Luke reached across and took her hands in his, afraid she might cry again. "Leia will be alright. We will both help her."

"It's just that, there's so much she won't accept. I can't help her move on if she won't accept the past."

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The next day started with breakfast. Padmè made a run to the ship for rations in a speeder borrowed from Telia. She'd woken early, something she tended to do when ever she'd been awalke late the night before. Not surprisingly, Luke woke shortly after she reaturned with supplies. He found her standing at a counter, assembling some light fruits while she waited for the pastries she'd made to finish baking.

Luke didn't speak, he just poured some tea and sat down. He was still in his pajamas and Padmè couldn't help but grin. Before too long, Leia appeared. She was fully dressed and had aparently done her best to put her brother to shame. Where he was wearing rumpled sleep clothes, she wore freshly pressed trousers and a new-looking work shirt. Luke's hair stuck out in every direction, but Leia's had been braided, then looped about itself again and again, forming a complex knot on top of her head.

Turning back to her fuits, Padmè sing-songed a cheery "Good morning children!"

Leia reponed with, "Good morning Mother." Looking for all the world as if morning were her favorite part of the day, though Luke knew it wasn't.

Luke tried to answer in kind, but all he managed was a "G'morning" and a smile that turned into a yawn. He stared when Leia giggled at him, but seemed to catch on to some private joke and smiled back at her.

Soaking up every moment, Padmè continued making breakfast. She slid the pastries off their tray and onto a platter, setting some into a napkin lined basket for Telia. The fruit and the pastries went to the table along with the teapot and a third cup for Leia.

"Breakfast is ready." She announced, setting plates and serving utensils on the table. Leia delicately scooped up a couple slices of fruit with the server and frowned when her brother ignored the utensils and snatched several pastries with his bare hands. Much to her amusement, Luke immediatly dropped them on his plate and blew on his slightly burned fingers.

When he had sufficiently recovered and noticed Leia laughing, Luke smirked at her. A moment later a pair of the hot treats floated into the air and settled on Leia's plate.

"Touchè." Leia responed, as if they'd been having a conversation.

Padmè served herself and spoke into the comfortable silence only once everyone had started to eat. " I was thinking today that we should meet with the local leaders, see if there is anything they can tell us that we don't already know. Telia said the that local govenors were still around."

"That sounds good to me." Leia said. "But at some point I would like to find some clothes. I only own two outfits that aren't gowns or uniforms and I wore the other one yesterday." She glanced across the table at her brother and grinned. "I think while we're out we should buy Luke some clothes that aren't black."

"I like black."

"But you look so nice in cream and brown really sets off your eyes."

Luke bit into a pastry while Padmè said, "Now, really! Let's not argue." She froze, then grinned when Leia turned back to her breakfast. "I think I like being the Mom. Now I'm supposed to remind you to finish your vegetables, right?"

Leia smirked and Luke nearly choked on his tea when he tried to laugh and drink at the same time.


	8. Chapter 8 Planning

I am so sorry I took so long getting you this post and I am sorry I posted no replies with the last chapter. I've been having computer problems and I figured you would rather have an update with no relpies than have to wait for the next chapter.

My computer is doing much better now, so I can finally reply to all of you.

Okay, those of you who have been so great and left reviews for chapters 6&7, I'm combining my coments for the sake of not making this note longer than the chapter.

**REV042175:** Han is coming, have no doubt about that! You'll be seeing a lot more flashbacks, or at least a few of them. As for Naboo and Queen Amidala, You are right about the type of people the Naboo are. They are peacful. of course, there are always exception (feature Palpatine) but over all, most of hte population would be so ashamed they would fall into depression. At least, that's my take on it. :-) As Kazzy said, creative liscence. I'm not sure where Telia is going, but it won't be far in this story. She's playing a supporting role here.

**Crista of Herac:** Checked out your story, it was interesting, see my review. Glad you are liking this story so much. Han is comming, don't worry. I think you'll like that part.

**Kazzy:** The way I see it, the Empire did more than detsroy planets, it destroyed people. I mean, imagine if that happened in real life, you go from being this grand democracy to this vile thing and everyone just stood by and let it happen. Talk about killing your self-respect. I mean, if my freinds and family and neihbors and I did that, I don't know if I'd be able to live with myself later. Naboo is a good example of that, too, because like you said, it was so beatiful and such an idyllic place. A good portion of the galaxy held Naboo in high regard, and it's leaders played such a crucial role in putting Palpatine in power. Even with good intentions, it's still a horrible thing. The thing is, Naboo wouldn't blame Amidala or Jar Jar, the people would blame themselves.

At lest, that's the way I see it. :-) The blaster thing, that's not even a Skywalker thing, it's a people in high places thing. Amidala was in a position where threat of attack would be a daily issue. Leia has been too, even though Alderaan was supposedly peaceful. That's something she would have learned in the war at least. (I keep pulling to mind that image in the beginning of ANH where she's in her gown firing at the storm troopers. I never could help wonering where she got the blaster.) "Walk softly but carry a big stick."

**Mara Angel:** Thanks, you jsut saved me having to read what everybody has told me is the worst book ever! I've never even read Epiode II so I'm relying on repeated viewings of my now very worn out videotapes for this. I think I wore out the parts in Theed palace trying to see enough of that to describe it. :-) Waht I'm trying to say is thank you so much for your input. I really rely on you guys to tell me what I'm messing up, :-)

**SSG Michael B Jackson:** Yeah, I think strangely sometimes. I know I replied to you via e-mail but you brought up some good points and I would like to post my replies. There are some more of Padme's thoughts int his chapter and more with my original characters. I create original characters because it's way too much work to not only learn about but work into a story, an existing character. I could have put an old handmaiden in Telia's place, (I almost did) but One, I couldn't figure out who, two, I couldn't think of wich one I knew anything about, and three, I hate when authors force a character into a story, just to put them there. I was afraid that last one is what it would feel like. It's like when someone does an AU starting with ANH and they squeeze every EU character they can think of in there. Mara was not in ANH, so why are you trying to put her there? I"m sorry my OC's feel so real, they were supposed to be filler, but I just think dynamically. :-)

Other point, yeah, the conversation was supposed to sound contrived. I would think it would be nearly impossible to have a real conversation here. I mean, Luke and Leia just found out (a couple of months ago) that they are related, but they've known each other for years and now their mother whom they haven't seen since before they could remember. In that instance, yes, they would try to have light conversations but it wouldn't be easy. I'm glad you liked the Padme/Luke conversation. I think everybody kind of ignores their relationship and I'm trying to highlight it. Leia's withdrawn somewhat so it's natural that they would draw on each other in her absense. They both know different parts of her.

**Nautica7mk:** I'm glad you are enjoying this and I'm sorry to make a liar out of you. :-) I meant to take care of this, honest! Here's that update, however.

**owpheonix:** Hi, and thanks.

**Beornthryth:** Glad to hear from you again! I thought I had lost you for a while there. I'm glad you liked my explination. I was afraid it would feel contrived. BTW, we get to see more of Redge in t his chapter. Actually, this may be all we see of him, so I hope you like it!

Okay, I think that's everybody. Whew, that is plenty enough from me, now on to Chapter eight!

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**Sorrow Multiplied**

Chapter 8

_From just outside the doorway, she watched little Leia playing dress up with several dolls and a tiny chest of darawers that held her accesories. This one was put into a ball gown and that one needed her hair done. Or so Leia said, as she played. _

_She spent several minutes just watching her little girl. At six standard years, the holos she'd gotten from Bail had showed little Leia curtseying or playing hostess at a small luncheon. Padmè blessed the man for each and every second of footage. Each holo, each video, they were all precious; all the more so for being far and few between. _

_Four times over the last two years she and Redge had made it to Alderaan. The old man had been exactly what Bail had told her and more. He was kind and generous, with those he trusted. He hadn't seemed that way at first though. At first he'd seemed cruel and uncaring, even a bit mean. He'd been harsh with her, especially when she'd made mistakes. _

_She hadn't really been much help the first few months with him, though she had tried her best. Desperate, she'd resorted to doing housework. What ever it took to make herself useful, if not indespensible. She'd spent hours scrubbing ever surface of the ship, deck to ceiling. Redge's laundry had miraculously disappeared from his floor only to reappear in his storage bins, freshly laundered and neatly folded. Meals showed up in his cabin or the cockpit at the regular times and the dishes made the same miraculous journey as his clothes. _

_Padmè drew on her time as queen often during those first few months. Not for her royal training, but the training she'd required for her haindmaiden ruse. She'd needed to be as convincing a handmaiden as Sabè had been a Queen in order for the game to work. That meant she cleaned, cooked, sewed, and scrubbed along with everyone else._

_It wasn't until nearly three months after the first day they had met that Redge showed his other side. She'd been scrubbing desperately at a stain on the deck that she'd noticed Redge glaring at a few hours ago. But despite her every effort, the stain remained. She'd tried every cleaning product on the ship and had resorted to actually scraping layers of metal off the floor panel in an attempt to remove the offending stain. Unfortunately, she had no experience with such a procedure and ended up taking a layer of skin off her hands in the process. Reduced to frustrated tears, sitting in a growing puddle of her own blood was how the old pilot had found her. He'd pulled her up off the floor and taken her to medstation where he'd bandaged her hands and given her painkillers, all the while trying to talk her down._

_Once she'd calmed down a bit, which was probably more due to the painkillers than anything else, Redge went back to the corridor to clean up the blood. He returned a few minutes later and asked her what was wrong. Despite he best efforts to shake it off, he insisted on knowing what had happened._

_It turned out, Redge hadn't known her story in the least. He knew her name and that she was a friend of Bail's, but he'd assumed she was some dignitaries secretary or something. The large stipend Bail had sent him regularly had only proved that to him. Now, he heard her out while she explained, in hurried tones, why she had no where else to go and how much she needed for him to keep her on._

_"You have to belive me!" she'd pleaded when his expression remained incredulous. _

_He'd barked a rough laugh and Padmè had known he would throw her out. "Of course I believe you hon, no one could make up a story like that. I just can't believe the crowd I'm stuck hanging around with these days! Imagine, old Uncle Redge has a Queen scrubbin' his deck!"_

_Padmè's face fell and she lowered her head and nodded, only to have the old man raise her chin again, so he could look her in the eye. "No more scrubbin, got that!"_

_In disbelief, she answered, "Yes, Redge."_

_"And you don't have to worry about me, I'll keep your secret. There is one condition, though." He grinned. "You have to learn to fly this baby correctly. If I'm gonna have a copilot, she's gonna have to be able to pilot."_

_A year and a half later, the old man had died. He'd just gone to bed one night and hadn't gotten up the next morning. When she'd gone through his belongings, looking for anyone she should contact, she'd found a note telling her that he was leaving everything he owned to his niece. He hadn't listed her name, but he'd included a holo image and a fingerprint ident chip that proved she was his heir. If anyone had asked, he'd have told them he didn't want "no beuracrate touchin' his stuff, makin' hisself rich from old Redges pain and suffrin'." Padmè wondered though, when he'd left her a small fortune in irradium ingots in a box in his cabin, with the note adressed to her, by name._

_Now, just four months after his death, she was making all his schedualed runs, identifying herself as Redge's niece and recieving sympathy from all his regulars for her loss. This was her fifth run to Alderaan since she'd died. Each time she brought a largish package from a private art collector on Tatooine with hand deliver instructions to Bail Organa. Her old friend always slipped her a large tip in a tiny silvered case, so as to disguise it and she took the back way out of the palace for conveniences sake. So far, no one had noticed how large the case was, nor how it took her nearly two hours to make her way to the rear exit._

_She really needed to leave now. The precious case had been tucked carfully against her own body and if she stood in this corridor much longer someone was going to call security. Somehow, she just couldn't make her tired muscles move. It was too comfortable, to lean against the door frame and watch little Leia Organa play._

_So caught up in watching the child's actions, Padmè didn't notice when little Leia noticed her. Even when the girl stood and trotted toward the door, Padmè didn't realise what was happening until the child curtsied prettily. "Hello, my name is Leia, what is yours?"_

_Frozen in place, the former queen realized she was being rude and tried to respond in kind. "Good Afternoon, Princess. My name is... Sabè. Have you had a good day?"_

_Little Leia grinned. "Yes, I got a new Kettin. I named her ST. That way she goes with my other Kettin. She's named AT." _

_The girl was smiling proudly and Padmè bet that she'd come up with the names herself. "How clever!" Relizing that this encounter had to end soon, Padmè excused herself. "I apologize for leaving so quickly, Princess, but I must continue on my way. I am on an errand for your father. I am glad to have had to opportunity to meet you finally. Your father has told me much of you."_

_"Oh, you're a friend of Father! Perhaps you could come and play sometime?"_

_Though her heart was breaking, Padmè declined as firmly as she could. "I'm afraid I am not often on planet, Princess. However, If I am ever here and you are available, I'm sure we could arrange something."_

_"That would be lovely, thank you Lady Sabè"_

_Padmè curtsied, despite her shipsuit, and said, "I would be my pleasure, Princess." The former queen hurried away after that, afraid she would start crying before she made it around the corner and out of sight._

LBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLB

They asked Telia to join them, but she refused. She did accept the pastries gleefully enough to make Padmè wonder, once agian, how often she had the chance to eat. Instead of borrowing Telia's speeder again, Padmè decided they sould walk to the govenor's office. It wasn't that far and she still wanted to show the city to her children. Of all the places she'd called home over the years, Naboo was the only place she had ever loved. This was her home and whatever decrepitude it had fallen to, she was still willing to show it off with pride.

In order for Luke and Leia to get the full impact the way she had, they left through the front doors again. It meant a long trek through the dim corridors, but Padmè felt it was worth it. At least, she did until she was rudely reminded why her security had only ever let her leave this way the one time. Standing on the front steps was a mob. There was no nice word for it. A throng of people that created enough noise to be considered a roar, just by standing still. When Padmè stepped out the front door, She was assaulted by the cheers that instantly erupted. Before Luke and Leia could even exit the building, the cheers died to be replaced with a chant of "Long live the Queen." Not only inappropriate but inaccurate, the chanting made Padmè frown in distaste.

Padmè started to step forward and say something, but Luke laid on hand on her arm. She turned and smiled at him, then gently lifted his hand off her arm and stepped forward anyway. When she raised her hands, the crowd instantly fell silent. "I would like to thank you all for your warm welcome home, however, I must ask that you cease at once. My children and I did not work for so long to secure your freedoms to hear such drivel upon my first trip home.

"Times have been difficult for all of us the past few years but I come bearing wonderous news. For those of you who haven't heard, the charlatan Palpatine has been destroyed. The Alliance is now working to rebuild the Republic and Naboo has been invited to join and send her representatives to the new Senate!"

The crowd cheered again and Padmè bowed her head reagally. She then raised her hands again for silence. "There is one minor problem, however. Before we can join the New Republic, we must elect new leaders. My children and I are on our way, even now, to arrange a meeting with the remaining local govenors in hopes that together we can make some sort of arrangement. Are there any questions about either of these announcements?"

A young woman stepped forward with a holo camera. "Olah Te'esh, Galagtic News, you mentioned your children?"

Smiling, Padmè glanced from Luke to Leia only to find that the latter was shaking her head violently. Padmè whispered, "Let a mother have her ten minutes of pride!" And Leia sighed.

"People of Naboo," Padmè began. "I would like to present my children." She gestured toward Leia, "Leia Organa Skywalker, Princess of Alderaan and Alliance Leader, working to build the New Republic." Gesturing toward Luke, she continued. "And this is my son, Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight. He is working to restore the Jedi as protectors of peace in the galaxy. Both are decorated war heros and were instrumental in bringing down the galactic empire."

A large bellied man stepped out of the crowd and appreoached the step where Padmè stood, now silent. "Your Majesty, " He began, only to be cut off.

"That title is no longer mine to bear. My term as your leader ended decades ago."

"Very well." He began agian, "Ambassadors, as representative for the city of Theed, I, Rivem Lisk, would like to welcome you home and offer my assistance in any way that I can. I think I can safely say that the people would very much like to rejoin the Republic. We are gratefull you have returned to lead us back to a dignified position in the galaxy."

His words were met with cheers and he stepped up once more so he could speak to her without announcing it to the crowd. "I have some plans I would like to implement that should help restore the people's confidence, but I will need your help, milady."

"Perhaps we should discuss them someplace a bit more quiet?" Padmè suggested with no small amount of amusement. She gestured toward the door behind then and Lisk nodded. Turning around to face the crowd again, Lisk said, "Gentlebeings, if there are any more questions, comments, or suggestions, please leave them with my office a few streets down. My assistants have a press release ready and will take your information so that we may give each of your requests the attention it deserves."

As the four of them re-entered the palace, Leia turned to the representative. "Is that true, about the press release?"

He gave her a wink. "It will be by the time anyone gets there. Infact, it should have been ready as soon as I said the words. It will, essentially, be a transcript of what happened outside. I have very effiecient staff, for all they are worth at the moment."

"What do you mean?"

"What good is a staff if the people no longer support the government?" He shrugged. "Despite my best efforts, the people of Naboo just don't care anymore. I think it's shame. We created one of the most vile men in the galaxy and sent him to the senate when he should have been locked up in our foulest prison."

Leia shook her head with a wicked grin. "I thought all senators were criminals?"

Lisk smiled sadly in return. "While I appreciate your humor, this is no laughing matter, milady. I, myself, have difficulty beliving Palpatine fooled us all for so long. I am deeply shamed that someone from Naboo could commit such heinous crimes."

"There is no way any of you could have known what he was." Luke said vehemently. "From what I understand, he fooled the jedi too. My own teacher met the man on several occasions and missed it. The dark side is very good at concealing itself."

"I appreciate your point, Knight Skywalker, but it is still difficult."

So far, Padmè hadn't contributed, but now she glanced back from where she had been leading the party to say, "Govenor Lisk, this is our opportunity to redeem ourselves. The Alliance is struggling, much as we are. There is much Naboo could contribute."

"Most definitely!" Leia agreed. "Naboo was once a well respected member of the Republic. Senators from this planet have been responsible for most of the major changes in the galaxy, the good ones as well as the bad. Speaking for Alliance high command, I don't feel anyone is going to hold Palpatine against you. Believe it or not, he did much good for galaxy, however unintentionally."

Lisk nearly didn't hear her startling statement, he was too busy looking around him as they walked. He'd never been inside the Palace before but somehow, he didn't think they were going to just any meeting room. "I beg your pardon, milady, but where are we going."

Padmè stopped before a pair of large doors. "Nowhere, we are here." With a shove, she forced the decrepit mechanism to work and the doors slid open. The huge room was circular in shape and held only one piece of furnature, a huge golden throne.

With a smile, Padmè said, "It seemed fitting that we should meet here."

"Indeed." Lisk responded with a dazed expression, taking in the grandois space. Leia only gave it a cursory examination, but Luke, like Lisk, was enthralled.

Snapping him out of his trance, the former Queen said, "You said you had a few ideas that would help morale amoung out people, Govenor?"

"Yes, your- Ambassdor."

Knowing Leia would fill him in later, Luke allowed his attention to waver from the current discussion. Despit his recent experiences, Luke still felt himself a gawking farmboy. For all he'd been through, nothing had prepared him for this place. On Tatooine, people had built small structures, mostly underground. It was cheaper to built and the style conserved energy. It was infinitely cheaper to cool a small, underground house than a larger structure.

But this? Of course, he'd asked Leia about Alderaan and she'd told him of the places she'd grown up, but with no real reference point his imagination hadn't been able to concieve anything quite so grand. Even yesterday, this place hadn't seemed quite so large. Or rather, it had seemed more real. He'd been actively searching for something and watching out for trouble. He hadn't had time to be in awe of anything. Now, there was pleanty of time and the Jedi found himself overwhelmed.

_I might have grown up here!_ Luke realized suddenly. If things had turned out differently, he might have lived here. If not, he might have visited frequently like Telia. His family might have spent their time travelling between here and Coruscant. Living in grand apartments with mother and father...

Shaking himself out of that line of thinking, Luke wandered toward the door to take a better look at the outer hall. More huge pillars and enormouse windows. The floor was a creamy marble like that of the throne room and near the opposite end of the hall was a large platform that looked like it had once been used to display something.

"A statue." Padmè said, as if she'd been reading his thoughts.

"How did you..."

"It is the only thing in the room to draw anyone's interest. A statue of one of our former rulers used to rest there. If I know my people, a statue of me will probably replace it. But not until I'm dead. I won't allow it."

Luke looked at her questioningly. "Why not?"

"I have done very little I would like to be remembered."

Unable to find a response to that, Luke changed the subject. "Shouldn't you be in there?"

Padmè smiled. "Your sister is quite the... diplomat."

"Leia is something else. I'm not surprised she took control of the situation."

"I'm glad she did, I was getting tired of being called 'your highness'."

Luke frowned. "I feel so out of place here. Although that has become the norm for me. Everyone here is so formal..." Realising his comments might be construed as an insult, Luke quickly clarified. "I mean, I'm... I..."

Laughter stopped him. "Relax, Luke. I'm a country girl too, remember? I was still very young when I made my first trip into the city. I fell in love with it and decided to go into politics, but I felt out of place for a long time. You'll get used to it and not everybody is so formal. People will relax when you are not with me."

"I sure hope so. It'll be bad for my jedi image if I mess up here." Luke said with a grin.

His mother laughed. "That is exactly the sort of thing your father would have said. You remind me so much of him... Although I don't think Anakin Skywalker felt out of place anywhere."

"I wish I could have known him."

"Me too."

After gazing for another moment at the large pedestal, Luke turned back toward the room they had just left. "We'd better check on Govenor Lisk. It's not a good Idea to leave Leia alone too long with a beuracrate."

"Oh, horor of horors! We'd better rescue the poor man." Padmè agreed with a laugh, following her son into the throne room.


	9. Chapter 9 Jump Starting

It's been two weeks, I know, I'm sorry. I've been sick. Well, better late than never, as Kazzy said. (someone else might have said it too, but I'll be darned if I remember who so we'll stick with Kazzy as a source.)

**REV042175:** I'm glad to hear I'm on the right track. Please let me know if I get anyone out of character. I think I'm kind of pushing things here soon. I thought the scene with Padme just seemed to fit. That whole flashback wrote itself, I just pushed the right buttons on the keyboard.

George gave me a nice setup there to work from. Luke, Padme, and Anakin all came from humble beginnings and rose, almost on their own, to a place of importance. With a story like that, it's easy to come up with little things like parrallelism.

**SSG Micheal B Jackson:** I had to come up with her back story to write Padme's character changes convincingly so I already had the plan. I wasn't going to post any of it, though. Whiile I was writing this story, though, things kept coming up that I knew would make more sense if you knew where Padme was coming from. So the flashbacks started. Now this whole thing has a life of it's own. Did I mention that this storty started out as like three chapters? I'm sure I said that somewhere...

The reporter? Ummm... Well... Yeah, what you said, about the ambulance chasing, I mean. Yeah, that works... Okay, I'll admit it, that didn't occur to me. Thats what I have you all for, right? To catch those things? Well, todays Gold Star goes to Mike. Gold Stars to anyone who catches whatever my major mistake was in this chapter. (I don't know what it is either, but I'm sure I made one.) Oh, and don't apologise for pointing out where I messed up. That's what reviews are for. It's bad for my ego if you all just praise away. :-)

As for the "getting Naboo jump-started" direction, I haven't even started yet. Just wait until you read this chapter!

**Shi-Nom:** You flatter me too much. I've always liked the human reactions in strange situations. I like to write the same things I like to read.

More Han is coming, never fear (though not in this chapter) and you will see a Gungan or two (again, not in this chapter) but you'll have to be patient with me. I have a plan, there is a methode to the madness! Now if I could just figure out waht I did with it...

It was great to hear from you!

**Yorke Knight:** I'm glad you like my story. (I'm sorry you did not enjoy my story.) Please feel free to contact me or leave another review whenever you like. I'm always glad to hear from those who have read my work. I like to know what you think, be it positive or negative. Have a great holiday.

**Kazzy:** You can't take away th e chocolate, we have laws against cruel and unusual punishment. :-) Until my granmother died just before Thanksgiving I hadn't lost anyone whom I was very close too so I had no personal experience to draw from for that part (I wrote it before Grandma passed away) I'm glad to know I got the general feel correct. It's hard to lose someone you care about even if you know they will be back. For them to be gone forever, well, I suppose thats where all these wonderful stories about heaven come from.

I'm not much for writing action, myself. I lean toward the angsty bits and thats why it takes me so long to write this sort of thing. If I wasn't planning on sharing it, this would probably be all fluff. This was, originally, supposed to be about Leia and Padme, primarily. At some point Leia became a secondary character. That will change soon, though.

I can't imagine anyone building a statue of me either. Heaven knows there are enough photos of me floating around. There are even a few videos. Much to my horror, there are a thousand copies floating around of a video that features ten minues of me sitting in the stands watching my baby brother graduate from basic training.

Anyway, Leia is coming up soon, though I don't know how much reflecting time there is going to be.

**Solarstorm:** Nope, this isn't over yet. It was supposed to be but you know how these characters are. They're always getting into trouble... It's great to hear from you. I hope you like this chapter!

**A/N **Merry Christmas to all of you, I probably won't be on again until after that. (If you participate in a different celebration, insert appropriate well-wishing comment. I'm not very PC.) In the mean time, here is chapter 9. Let me know what you think, rest assured I will be back eventually!

_**Sorrow Multiplied**_

Chapter 9

"Can someone explain to me again why I have to wear this?" Leia asked from the dressing room.

"Because the people are expecting it. That gown will make a far bigger impact than anything else you could have worn."

"I'd much rather be in my senatorial robes. This just so, _grandois_. Plus, it itches."

Padmè laughed at her daughter. "I think it's supposed to be that way. All mine itched horribly. How does it fit?"

Leia grunted from behind the curtain. "That depends, am I supposed to be able to breath?"

"No."

"Then it's perfect." Leia said, while pushing the curtain aside. "I was planing on buying clothes today, but I wanted _leasure_ clothes. Something casual? Not this mostrosity." The gown in question was a vibrant red with black and gold accents. The bodice was tightly fitted as were the sleeves, though the cuffs were long enough they nearly trailed the ground. Her high collar kept her from being able to turn her head far and the skirt was large enough Leia couldn't figure out how she would possibly fit in a speeder. "Well, what do you think? I've worn worse, but not since I was old enough to pick out my own clothes."

"It looks great, it's a little loose around your waist..."

"Mother!" Leia cried in protest and Padmè grinned.

"I was just kidding! Now for your hair."

Leia, who had already twisted her hair into tall, elaborate braids, took a hasy step back. "I don't think so. I like my hair attached to my head, thank you. I've seen holos of you with that mess on your head. I'll keep my braids."

"If you say so. It's probably not a bad idea anyway. I want you to stand out so you and I shouldn't look too much alike."

Padmè stepped behind the curtain and came out after only a few minutes. She wore one of the largest gowns Leia had ever seen. It was blue with silver highlights and although the bodice was closely fitted, the rest of the gown billowed around her. The enormous sleeves stood out from her body when she held her arms too close and the skirt was even bigger than Leia's with a train that trailed several feet. The collar fitted close to her neck, but was only an inch high.

Leia gasped and her mother started. "Is something wrong? I haven't got a stain already have I? The dress maker won't have another gown ready until tomarrow..."

Shakin her head, Leia responded. "No, the dress is fine. I just still can't belive that _you_ are my mother."

"Come on, I'll need your help to do my hair. I used to take four of us, I hope you and I can manage it." Padmè led the way to a dressing table with a huge mirror. The top, which Leia could easily imagine covered in bottles and jars, held only a handful of items. There was a waist hight stand next to the bench that Padmè settled on. It held a blue and silver headdress that matched Padmè's gown.

"First, we'll have to put that on, then youll have to help me wrap my hair around it." Padmè instructed Leia, sho reached for the article.

"This is heavy! What keeps it from falling off?"

"My hair." the former queen responded with a smile.

"Ouch. I'm glad I don't have to wear one."

Padme grinned and reached for comb Leia would need now the the headress was in place. "I used to wear one every day. Sometimes I wore a wig, but not often. They don't stay on as well." Padme settled into silence, only occasionally offering advice or instruction, untill they were nearly finished. Then she asked something that had been bothering her for some time. "Leia, why did you look to me as a role model?"

"You're kidding right?" The princess asked rhetorically. "You did so many amazing things..."

"Yeah, I put a criminal into the highest office in the galaxy."

Leia started on another tiny braid. "No, you worked to weed out the parts of the government that could no longer function. A majority of votes in the senate put Palpatine into power. You did everything in your power to make sure the people who did not have a vote were still heard. Before that, you helped to bring a back water planet to peace with itself and the rest of the galaxy. You refused to let anyone control you or your people and you fought to maintain freedom both on your home world and through out the galaxy. Who wouldn't choose you as a role model?"

Padmè felt tears welling up in her eyes and blinked furiously to clear them before Leia looked up from her braiding.

"I'm proud to be your daughter, Mom." Leia said, pinning the last of the tiny braids in place.

Her mother stood and turned to wrap the princess in a hug. "I love you Leia."

"I love you too, Mom."

Breaking the hug, both women turned toward the mirror, satisfied with their appearances. Leia broke into a grin and Padmè asked her why.

"You know, I dressed up as you for a costume ball once when I was little. I wore the facepaint and everything."

"I'm surprised Bail let you."

"He didn't like it, but mother... um..."

Padmè smiled, "Her name was Sachè and I couldn't have asked for a better woman to raise you in my stead."

"Right. She made him let me. She made me this shiny gown and put my hair up in this huge wig. It was hollow on the inside, she made it that way to it would be light, I think. Anyway, I spent the whole night explaining who I was supposed to be. It was the proudest night of my life, up to that point."

The former queen wrapped one arm around her daughter's shoulders and steered her toward the doorway. "I'm glad you had Sachè there to help you, then. She was always the best with my hair. I missed her sorely when she married Bail."

"My adopted Mother was one of my real Mother's handmaidens." Leia said slowly, as if in shock. "I think I'm getting a headache."

"And you're not even wearing the headress."

LBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBL

Luke waited in an outer chamber for his mother and sister. They were all in the Queen's quarters becuase it had the best entrance to the throne room. It had taken so long to get the girls' gowns made, their meeting was due to start any moment. All the local government heads were probably already waiting there for them.

It had been quite a rush, getting ready for this. As far as Luke understood, they were going for shock value. Govenor Lisk and his mother planned to jump start public interest by brining back memories of the way things used to work. That plan had spawned the need for costumes like the one he now wore. Luke tugged self consciously at the heavy robe his mother had picked out. It reminded him of the one old Ben had worn, and the resemblance made him uncomfortable. But his mother had assured him it looked very much like what every jedi she had ever known had worn and that it would fit the image they wanted to project perfectly.

Hearing a soft gigle, Luke turned toward the doorway his family had disappeared into over an hour ago. In a moment, his mother appeared. The doorway framed her perfectly and for a moment she appeared to be a life size painting. Her hair did not look as if it would fit through the doorway and he couldn't imagine how she could even move, let alone breath, but she was most definitely impressive. His mother stepped forward and Leia apeared. She was dressed in fire red and though her gown was slightly smaller, it only served to remind him how amazing she was. He was pretty sure that was the point. Her own hair was braided in a pattern he'd seen before, though it looked like it belonged above this dress.

"So, do we pass?" Leia asked him nervously.

"You both have my sympathy. That doesn't look comfortable at all." Luke said honestly. It earned him a glare from his mother and a laugh from Leia.

"I told you!" Leia said, pointing at her mother. "And why couldn't I wear something like Luke is wearing. His at least looks like he can breath."

Their mother let out a long-suffering sigh. Luke turned to his siter with a grin. "I'll gladly trade you. Mine may be more comfortable, but if you trip and fall you are the only one who looks silly. I could say the wrong thing and disgrace the entire jedi order past and present."

"Don't be so dramatic, Luke."

"I thought that's what this little trip was about? If we aren't supposed to be dramatic, can I go put my black..."

"No!" Padmè and Leia said in unison.

Luke pretended to pout, crossing his arms across his chest and bowing his head.

"Hold that pose!" his mother said, and Luke froze. She adjusted his arms so that they rested inside his sleeves and pulled his hood up over his head. "If you are going to stand like that, do it this way. Trust me, it will scare the pants off every one in there."

Luke frowned, lifting his head so he could see his mother's face. He felt like he was wearing some elses' clothes and that person was a lot bigger than he was. "I don't want to scare them."

"But I do. Besides, you should know this anyway. Who knows when it will come in handy?" Leia answered for her mother. "I think he should go out with us like that. He can put the hood down when we are all in place."

"Good plan, Leia." Padmè said and Luke nodded. As soon as she had turned toward the door, he stuck his toungue out playfully at his sister. Leia returned the gesture and Padmè called "I saw that!"

They all became serious, however, as they approached the hallway. In another four meters, they would be in view of over a hundred people. Including several newscasters who would be broadcasting this to the entire planet. Whispers of anticipation filled the room and spilled into the hallway and as Luke approached he could sense the excitement in the air. Padmè glanced back at her children.

"Ready?"

"As we'll ever be." Leia replied, smoothing her gown one last time.

As the door which Luke was pretty sure was disgused from the other side, opened, the room beyond fell silent. Anticipation and excitement turned to stunned silence as the crowd got it's first glimpse of their former ruler. When Padmè had cleared the doorway, gazes were torn between her and the woman behind her. Leia was just as impressive and looked just like Amidala had as queen. Leia stepped forward, following her mother down the aisle between the chairs and Luke stepped forward out of the shadows. To his irritation, a sprinkling of fear and uncertainty ripled through the crowd, just as Leia had predicted.

Those emotions faded, though, as his mother reached the dais and the throne. While their outfits were being made, Lisk's staff had helped them scour the room and the throne until it had reached it's former glory. But this was not meant to be functional. Instead of sitting, as every one expected, Padmè pulled a large black cloth out of the folds of her gown. It was embroidered and the edges of the thin fabric were sewn heavy with beads. It was a traditional veil of mourning.

She waited until Luke and Leia reached her and, together, the three of them spread the cloth over the golden chair. The entire room gasped, almost in unison and Padmè, stepped to the front of the dais, flanked by Luke on her left and Leia on her right. Barely moving, holding her head bowed, Padmè lowered her voice and spoke.

"The crown mourns the people of Naboo. Where death comes, we bow our heads in silent prayer for those who have passed. Let us share in a moment of silence.

Most of the assembly bowed their heads automatically, but one newscaster was either brave enough or stupid enough to speak. "I'm sorry, to interrupt Your highness, but what, exactly, are we mourning?"

Fury radiated from the former queen and the reporter swollowed nervously as she gracefully stormed through the crowd, every limb stiff with anger. "You are being insolent and disrespectful, yet I will answer you. On the twenty-third day of the eigth month twenty-four years ago this week, the people of Naboo failed to elect the person who should be wearing the title you have so erroneously applied to me." She turned a full circle, only feet from the young man who had spoken, catching the attention of every person in the room. "On that day, not a single soul even atttempted to elect a new leader to replace their slain queen. On that day, the people of Naboo gave up their rights and freedoms and so Naboo died."

Into the silence that fell, Leia spoke her lines, knowing she held her audience captive. "My name, is Leia Organa. I am here as a representative of the New Republic. I came to request that Naboo join us and help to rebuild what the Emperor tried so hard to destroy. However, as with the old Republic, a system must be able to elect it's own representative before it may join. I am sorry to have to report to high council that Naboo is not yet civilised enough to join us."

Angered by these statements, another man stood quickly and adressed them. "How dare you call us here to insult us! What about you, Jedi?" The man turned the title into an insult. "Do you have something to say about us?"

Luke lowered his hood and gave the man a wry smile. "Only that this is the only place I've ever visited that actually made me miss Tatooine."

There was a chuckle from somewhere in the crowd. Padmè returned to the dais and stood in front of her children. "Today, is a day of mourning. The people of Naboo have not only given up their rights, but they have turned everything I worked so hard to build into a mockery. You apply a foreign title to me out of what you claim is respect, then you ignore everything I stand for. I will not stand by and watch my home destroy itself."

After a final, sad, glare at the congregation, the former queen turned and bowed to the shrouded throne, then stepped toward the door she had just entered through. Leia, then Luke, followed her lead and all three of them exited the room swiftly.

When they were safely on the other side of the closed door, Leia leaned against the wall and faught not to laugh too loudly. "Well, we made an impression." She managed to gasp.

"Are you kidding? Your opening statements left three people in tears, Mom!" Luke said, turning from his sister to his mother. "Most everyone else was in shock. That reporter was ready to hit the floor and beg for forgiveness when you turned around. And Leia, when you said they weren't civilised enough to join the New Republic, I think a couple of women fainted."

Now it was Padmè's turn to giggle quietly, "Naboo was once known as the outer core. We were considered to be second only to Coruscant for refinement and elegance. That was the killing blow, I think."

They made it down the hallway and back to the main chambers. Padmè frowned and glared at the empty room. "If I sit on the floor it will take three people to get me up in this outfit. I miss my sofa."

"We could go change, but it sure seems to be a waste of a good outfit," Leia remarked.

"They are going to want to speak with us again shortly anyway. Govenor Lisk is going to try and make them argue themselves into a frenzy. With any luck they will inspire each other. I wish I knew how long it was going to take, though."

Luke snapped his fingers and raced into one of the six rooms that led off the main room. He returned with the bench from that rooms dressing table. He gathered five more identical benches and dashed out into the hall way. After a few minutes, Padmè turned to her daughter. "Where has he gone to?"

Leia shrugged, a strange looking gesture in her high collared gown. "I have no idea. I can still sense him, so he hasn't gone far, but all I get is Luke being gallant."

The mystery was solved when, several minutes later, Luke returned with one of Lisk's aids and each of them had a pile of bed pillows from the closet Telia had directed them to the night before. Luke set the benches up against the wall two deep and set pillows for arm and back rests. The aid left and Luke bowed with a flourish.

"A sofa, milady."

"Thank you Luke!" Leia said, stepping forward to kiss him on the cheek. "You're sweet no matter what the Rougues say about you." Leia and Padmè both sat on the newly formed sofa and Luke settled on some spare pillows on the floor. For comfort's sake, he shrugged out of the heavy cloak and found the tunics very comfortable without it. He relaxed slightly and in a moment asked, "So now what?"

Unable to resist teasing her brother, Leia said, "I though patience was a Jedi trait?"

"Patience doesn't have to mean in activity. Or boredom."

"Hurry up and wait. That's politics for you," his mother broke in. "I'll bet we get an update soon."

LBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBL

Han Solo kicked the bulkhead hard enough to dent the metal, then stomped off to the control panel. The cheery electronic voice greeted him only to be silenced abruptly when he pulled the cable out of the speaker. He atacked the panel with a multi tool.

Unfortunately, the wiring was just as bad as he had thought and a spark jumped through the piece, shocking the smuggler. For a moment, he thanked the stars that Chewbacca wasn't here, the wookie would have berated him for hours for not checking the wires first. Then of course, he cursed the fact that his first mate wasn't here to help him so he did not have to keep dashing back and forth down the ship.

It was just his luck that the _Falcon_ would start hiccoughing just when he needed her to hold together. Sure, the danger wasn't life threatening, but he might lose his nerve if he had to wait much longer to see Leia.

He dropped his tool kit on the floor by a new panel and started tearing it apart. Thinking about the princess, Han tried desperately to focus on his work. Within moments the lights came back on and the computer told him the hyperdrive was again functional. It wouldn't be long now.

LBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBL

Telia watched the drama unfolding in the throne room with interest. She wished she had audio on her survelance systems. This was a historic moment. Telia was not born until after Queen Amidala had retired, but she had always felt strongly about the former ruler. The now former queen had been the one to inspire her to service. Of course by the time she was of an age to be of use there was no longer any government to serve.

Instead she had dedicated herself to maintaining what was left. It was not, by far, the life she had imagined, but the work was satisfying enough and at least she could feel she was accomplishing something. On her display, the queen stormed out of the room leaving speechless polititions in her wake. The room was so still Telia thought the picture had frozen, but then the heavyset man who had been speaking with Amidala earlier came forward and adressed them.

Deciding she was willing to sacrifice the view for the chance to hear what was going on, Telia slipped into the mainenance passages that ran through many of the walls. Soon, she was outside the Throne room and she could hear the arguments progressing inside. It soon became evident to the young woman that everyone was too frightened to accomplish anything. The beauracrates were afraid of change. They had been stagnating far too long and now they were not capable of moving themselves in the right direction.

Without motivation, these discussions would go nowhere. They would just loop continuously untill everyone either killed each other or passed out from exhaustion. Unfortunately, Amidala could not mediate this one. They needed her still and she could not become mired in this. But Telia knew who could. In fact, Telia knew exactly who could give this assemblage the motivation they needed.

She hurried out to the motorbay, which only contained her speeder at the moment, and raced out of town at a pace that left pedestrians running in terror.


	10. Chapter 10 Kidnapped!

Hi there.

I got a new computer as a Christmas present from my father. Yea me! It got here on Jan 3 and I finally got it on the internet. So, you all get another update. For those of you who didn't know, my old computer died, it just quit, and that's why this update has taken so long. I thought it would take longer for the new one to get here, but it didn't. Yea again!

Okay, I'm done now. Here are some replies, then on to the story. this chapter is kinda short, but the next one should be longer.

**SSG Micheal B Jackson:** Thanks. I liked that chapter myself. Watch the plot thicken in this chapter, though.:-) grins wickedly>

**Kazzy:** Please don't hit me! but, you're going to have to wait and see. author ducks quickly in anticipation of thrown fruit> Don't worry, we will get back to the govenors dispute. Just not right away.

I thought Padme telling them off worked because of the way they were treating her. The people of Naboo have placed her up on a pedestal and she would feel that was wrong. But she wouldn't be above using that position to try and help them. I feel very bad about downplaying Leia's role in this one, but somehow Luke and Padme just jumped tot he front. Leia gets a bigger part in this chapter, though.

Actually, all the big formal dresses don't have to be uncomfortable. I can't help remembering my prom dress. It looked like thisamazing beaded gown, but it was really a shirt and pants. It was very comfortable but it didn't look like it. I never read much about Padme or Naboo, but I saw TPM and I'm sorry, most of those things just looked horrible. (did you seethe look on her face through most of the movie?:-) Besides, I wanted the Luke and Leia moment and the opportunity to play up Luke's clothes.

I've never hit a word limit for the reviews, but I'll bet you could manage it if you put your mind to it. :-)

**REV042175:** Thank you. Last chapter was all fluff. I'm sorry. I couldn't help it. I'm glad you enjoyed it. After reading your review, I can't wait to get my next post ready. You are going to love the scene that comes up in chapter 11. IT's another flashback. Anyway...

Throughout this story, I keep drawing on that image. What if Anakin hadn't turned. It's been my guiding light so far. I know, Padme is easy in some ways because she does tend to fall back into 'leader' mode. Of course, that makes the family scenes doubly difficult, but it's worth it, in my opinion. I'm glad everybody seemed to like Padme's address. I only hope this chapter can compete.

**A/N:** As an intersting bit of trivia. This chapter has actually been spellchecked (except for the authors note). This si the first chapter that has been. Enjoy and let me know what you think. :-)

* * *

_Sorrow Multiplied_

_Chapter 10_

As if fate, or Lisk, was trying to spite Padmè for her optimistic words, the trio waited two hours before finally giving in and going to dinner. Knowing the governors were still arguing was an encouraging sign, and since they still held out hope all three kept their costumes on, but a person could only tolerate so much sitting in one place. Apparently, Lisk's staff was as good as he'd said, because when they exited the room and young woman directed them to a waiting hover car and suggested three restaurants that would be ready to accommodate them. All before any of them had said a word. They thanked the young woman who nodded her acceptance and led them to the waiting car.

Leia looked at the door helplessly and Padmè laughed. The older woman grabbed the sides of her skirt and folded them in, crushing the skirt in a pattern until she was able to climb in through the narrow door. She only took a moment and accomplished this feat gracefully. Leia managed almost as well and Luke managed not to laugh at her. When they were on their way, all three felt better than they had the entire afternoon. It had seemed they would never get out of that chamber and Padmè was beginning to feel claustrophobic in the room she had called home for so many years. Luke and Leia, both long used to action, had felt just as oppressed.

But now, although they weren't accomplishing anything, it seemed as if there was more space in the tiny air car than in the palace. All three breathed a sigh of relief. At least, for a short time. After half an hour, they began exchanging worried glances. The pilot was hurrying, but it seemed the trip was taking far too long. Knocking on the separator plate between the passenger compartment and the drivers, Padmè called out to the driver.

"Is there a problem? Why is this taking so long?"

The driver did not respond. Padmè looked to her two children, both of whom wore puzzled expressions. Leia pounded on the transparent plastic panel hard enough to make the entire air car vibrate. There was a dull thud on their side, but the noise in the cab must have been quite loud. The driver turned halfway and glared at the Princess, who recoiled. This man was not their driver.

The stranger turned back to his controls and pushed the speeder faster. The ground below whizzed by at alarming speeds and Padmè gripped her safety restraints tightly, as if she could make them protect her. Luke lifted his sabre off his belt and tucked it into an inside pocket. Seeing the motions, his mother nodded at him. All three sat in conspiratorial silence through the trip, none wanting to divulge anything that could be used against them until they knew who their captors were. At one point, Luke tried the door, but the locks had apparently been jammed and the panel refused to move.

At long last, after an hour in the air car, The pilot brought the small craft down to land. The place was a small clearing in a forest that only Padmè recognized and none knew. The pilot stepped out of the car and Luke held his hands near his sabre, ready to cut them out of the chance arose. It didn't. After another breath, the tiny space began to fill with a faintly blue gas and despite their best efforts, even the trained jedi could not hold his breath long enough. In minutes they were unconscious.

* * *

_"I'd be far too frightened to tease a senator," he protested with that silly grin she loved so much. It did not matter how many times she heard that phrase, she never tired of it. He only said it to make her smile, to make her forget whatever disagreement had been brewing. No one else could ever disarm her so completely so easily. That was probably why they argued so rarely. Whenever they disagreed he said something to make their difference of opinion seem silly and insignificant. _

_She smiled at him and let him kiss her. "How do you do that Ani?"_

_"What did I do this time, Milady?" _

_"You always make me forget what I was going to say."_

_"Perhaps it wasn't as important as you thought and that's why you forgot it so easily."_

_Padmè smiled at him, her long hair caressed by the slight breeze that blew across their balcony. Lying wrapped up in his arms, it was so easy to let everything else go. Nothing was important beyond this place. "Is that more Jedi wisdom?"_

_He laid his cheek on top of her head and she could feel his wistful smile. "No, my mother used to say that. I would get excited about something and then get interrupted. I'd get frustrated and she would smile and say that. She always followed it with, 'If it was important, you will remember later.'"_

_"I admired her, you know."_

_He sat up, alarmed to find out something new from his beloved. "I didn't know that."_

_"I never told anybody," she confessed. She shivered slightly and her husband held her more tightly. "I remember, at first, I did not know what to think about her, or you for that matter. Slavery is against the law. I was too surprised and too caught up in my own problems to even have an opinion."_

_Anakin laughed defensively. Such memories still hurt, even after all this time. "Milady not have an opinion? I find that difficult to believe."_

_"It's true. Later, though, I had a chance to think. I though a lot about you after it was all over and Naboo was safe. I decided that your mother was one of the bravest people I have ever met. She was able to do anything, willing to do anything, for you. I hope that someday I can be half the woman she was."_

_"You're brave, Padmè."_

_"It's easy to be strong, to be brave, when you are surrounded by people ready to help you. It's hard to do it by yourself." She snuggled into his embrace and he pulled up a blanket to cover them both. The sun was setting over the Coruscant skyline and with the light went the warmth it provided. Climate controlled or not, the evening air could be chill._

_After several moments of silence, she spoke again. "Now, I feel I understand her a little more that I did even then. I don't think I could do what she did. I don't think I could let you walk away, knowing I would never see you again. I don't think I could do that for my child either, were I too have one."_

_"Child?" He asked quizzically. The thought had never occurred to him before this moment, but all of a sudden it seemed like a good idea._

_"Someday, yes. I want to have children. I did not when I was younger, but now... I want two, one boy and one girl."_

_"Padmè, the children need you."_

_She turned her head to look at her husband who was smiling at her._

_"What did you say Ani?"_

_"The children need you Padmè. You have to get up and help them."_

_The image of her husband blurred. Slowly, the warm smile and deep blue eyes morphed into a pale blue light and a dark brown ceiling,_

"Ani?" She spoke quietly, both out of fear and because her voice was weak. Her strength was slowly returning, though.

_"Wake up, Padmè. I'm doing all I can, my angel, but I don't have much to give. You'll have to rouse Luke and Leia. I love you."_

The dream like memory faded into reality and recent events came rushing back to her. She remembered the speeder and the poison gas. "Where am I?"

_"It's a cave, just off the clearing you landed in. I don't know much more than that. If I'm going to be here, I have to follow you."_ His voice was soft and whisper quiet. Padmè was certain she was the only one who could hear it. She sat up and looked around. She was in a tiny cavern. Luke and Leia lay side by side only a few feet away. The only light came from a tiny glowrod above her head and that was blue tinged.

_"I have to go now. I'll still be with you, but I must save my strength."_

"Go, Ani. I love you too." She felt another phantom caress and smiled despite the situation. She had never known such things were possible, even through the force and praised any gods that might be listening for granting her such a gift. These thoughts were not solely occupying her mind, however. While she was thinking them, she was evaluating her situation.

The tiny cavern had only one entrance, and consequently only one exit. That passage was blocked by a set of steel bars that looked very solid indeed. The ceiling was just high enough for her to stand up in, her children would have to crouch slightly. The space was roughly half of a sphere, which meant is wasn't very large at all, considering. She stepped over her daughter to shake Luke awake. As a Jedi, he would have inhaled less of the gas than Leia and would probably wake easier.

She had barely reached him when the steel door swung open unceremoniously. Three stout looking guards stepped through the doorway followed immediately by a weasely little man in a black suit. Padmè stood tall, her disheveled headdress brushing the ceiling. Everyone else crouched slightly, giving her the physical advantage.

"What is the meaning of this!" her voice boomed in the most even tone she knew. The sound that had left hero's cringing, had little impact on these men.

"Spare me, your highness," The suited man said. "You are not impressing anyone. You and your children will be joining me until further notice."

Still holding her pose, she demanded answers form this little man. "Why are we here?"

"You are here because my lord wishes it. He is the rightful ruler of this planet and you wish to take that away from him. Until His place has been confirmed, you would do best to stay calm and resign yourself."

"What about my children?"

The little man sneered and glanced at one of the burly guards. The larger man kicked out and caught Luke in the stomach with one boot. Unable to watch, Padmè threw herself at the guard, who batted her away easily, throwing the diminutive woman into the opposite wall. While she tried desperately to get some air back into her lungs, she was forced to watch the guard continue kicking her son. With her first breath she cried out to them to stop.

"Please, don't. I'll stop. Please!"

The little man chuckled, but raised one hand to the guard who delivered a final kick before stepping back.

"Remember this, next time you think about trying anything funny."

The man turned and walked out the open door. The three guards followed and without them the room seemed much bigger. Padmè stumbled across the room, barely standing, to where Luke still lay unconscious. She gathered the young man in her arms and rocked him back and forth.

"Please wake up, Luke, Please be okay. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." She chanted rhythmically, listening to every breath. He did not seem to have any broken bones, but he would definitely be in pain when he awoke. Amazingly, his lightsabre was still tucked into his pocket. That little piece of information gave her hope. Her own hold our blaster was missing from it's hidden holster and the thought of undergoing that thorough of a search while unconscious made her shudder.

After several moments of trying, she still hadn't managed to wake her son so she turned to Leia. Her daughter lay on her side and was breathing a bit faster than her brother. Padmè shook the young woman and actually seceded in rousing her.

"What happened?"

"We were drugged in the speeder. We're being held captive by someone planning on ruling the planet."

"Oh, yea," Leia said sarcastically. "Anyone we know?"

Smiling wryly, she responded, "I don't think so. His minions seem to be a bit on the crazy side, though."

"How nice. Where's Luke?"

"Unconscious. He was beaten by one of the guards. Leia, it was my fault, I stood up to them..."

"Don't worry about it." Leia said flatly, knowing Luke would feel the same way. She crawled over to her brother and looked him over. She gave her mother a significant look.

"I know. I didn't want to say anything."

Leia nodded and laid one hand on her brother's forehead. "Luke, you need to wake up now. Mother and I need you, Luke."

Luke didn't stir. Leia looked to Padmè. "I can try to reach him with the Force. I don't know how much good it will do. I'm not very good at this yet."

"Try."

She nodded and settled on the floor to concentrate. _"Luke, where are you? Mother and I need you to wake up now Luke."_ Leia thought she heard a whisper of a response and concentrated harder. _"Luke? Are you here."_

_"Yes, he's here Leia."_

The strange voice startled her and Leia almost lost her concentration. Sheer will held her focus. Surprised, she nearly forgot about her brother._ "Who are you?"_

The stranger shied away momentarily, they returned trepidaciously. _"I'm some one who cares about Luke... and about you."_

The unfamiliar voice sounded to Leia like someone she should know. _"Can you help me wake him?"_

_"I have no strength here, Leia, but I can guide you to him. The drug affected him badly, I think your brother is slightly allergic to it. You should be able to wake him up, but he won't recover fully for a few days. He also needs medical attention as soon as possible."_

Leia's eyebrows raised at the stranger's knowledge. _"Who are you!"_

_"I'll tell you when we wake Luke. Does that sound fair?"_ The voice almost seemed to laugh, but Leia ignored it for her brother's sake.

_"Agreed. Let's do this."_

Leia felt a warmth envelope her and pull her gently. She felt as though she was traveling very quickly over a very short distance. Soon, she felt her brother's presence and she instinctively reached out for him. _"Luke! Luke, come with me, Mother and I need you."_

_"Leia? My head hurts."_

Smiling, she grabbed at him and pulled. _"We can take care of that when you wake up."_

The path back to consciousness took only a moment but Leia paused just before she made it there. Though she searched, she could not find the stranger who had helped her. The other voice had disappeared without a trace. Silently cursing, she opened her eyes slowly to see her mother holding Luke upright while he coughed.

"Luke, are you all right?"

Padmè offered her an encouraging smile and after a moment the coughing subsided. When he was catching his breath, Leia said to him, "Luke, I think you are allergic to the toxin they used to knock us out. You should be fine, but you will be weak until we can get you some medical help."

The Jedi nodded, having already guessed something of the sort, but Padmè looked at Leia curiously. The princess did not notice. Luke looked around, apparently evaluating their predicament.

"Liar," he said quietly.

"What?" Leia responded incredulously.

He smiled. "You said we could fix my headache."

* * *

After identifying himself to traffic control and explaining why he was here, Han was directed to a landing bay next to Padmè's ship. The former smuggler was also directed to a local governor's office. He caught part of the broadcast the local holonet was running and immediately recognized his wife's hand in the arguments. Giving up on the boring discussion, he tried hailing the ship next to his. 

"_Raven Maiden_? This is the _Millennium Falcon_. Is anyone over there?"

"Hello? Can I help you?" The voice that answered was soft and timid.

"This is Han Solo, I was told this was Padmè Skywalker's ship? I'm looking for her and... For her and Luke and Leia."

"I haven't heard from them all day. They went on to the Palace. Miss Leia told me about you, though and you are welcome to meet them there."

At the palace? Han balked at the thought. The last 'palace' he'd been in had belonged to a Hutt. Before that, he simply couldn't remember one before that. Still, if he wanted to be with Leia, he would have to get used to this part of her life and her past. He might as well go ahead and get it over with now.

"Thanks, hon. I'll do that."

After locking up his ship, the old smuggler snagged a driver outside the spaceport. He didn't know his way around or he'd have walked, but right now he was in a hurry and didn't want to risk being lost.

"The Palace, huh? That's a popular destination today. You have business there? If not, you'll end up waiting outside." The driver's voice was eager, but well worn and he seemed genuinely interested in his passenger, who couldn't have cared less.

"I was told I'm expected." Han answered noncommittally. It took everything he had not to tell the incessantly conversational driver where to put his questions. It was even harder to keep himself from telling the driver to turn around and take him back to the spaceport.

"Well I'm impressed. I don't think a single thing has happened today that anyone expected to happen. What's makes you so special?"

Han looked out the window as the crowd below as the driver circled the palace, both giving Han a good view and running up the fare. He still wasn't sure he would have the courage to tell Leia what was on his mind. "Buddy, I been askin' myself that very same question for a long time now."


	11. Chapter 11 Arrivals

Alright, I've not only finished another chapter, it's been spellchecked too! Yippee! Okay, I'm done. To all of you who asked, the new 'puter rocks! It is so great being able to open more than one window at a time, though I'm still getting used ot being able to run two programs at once. But most of you don't really care, so I won't go on about that.

**REV042175:** The family relationship is, primarily, what this story is about. I never intended for it to actually have a plot (or be this long, now that I think about it.) The whole story just kind of happened along the way. Don't worry too much about Daddy breaking up the family. They are all too stubborn for a little thing like that to seperate them for long. Oh, and the Padme/Han moment is coming up, eventually. Patience.

**SSG Micheal B Jackson:** I know Luke went down easy. But, if you think about it, he always plays along at first. Even with Jabba and Vader, he played along until the time was right to do something else. Things just didn't turn out that way this time. And, as you said, I couldn't find another way that this all fit. (Give me a break, if Leia was going to get screen time, Luke had to go down. :-)

I like negative reviews, they tell me that you were paying attention. I consider a truly critical review the highest praise you can give. BTW, Mike gets the gold star for today because he found my mistake in this chapter. And he gets a second one for correct spelling and use of the word seguay. Thanks, Mike.

I'm glad you liked Ani's involvement. I worried at first that it wouldn't be believable enough. Get ready, cause he isn't done yet. (I won't say anymore, you can figure it out.)

**Kazzy:** The reason for the bad guys' apparent stupididty will be revealed, I promise. In the mean time, consider it a suspense builder. (Thank you for not throwing fruit, BTW. Most people would have.) This chapter does that suspense thing again, sorry about that. But that's why you like it, right? Right? /sound of crickets chirping can be heard/

The sentence fragment at the end of you're review threw me, but I'm guessing you were trying to say something about the new Ani/Padme scene. If it was positive, thank you, if not, let me know. I actually wrote that scene a long time ago. See, I tried very hard to keep my flashbacks in chronological order. I don't like to jump around too much, it confuses me in other peoples stories. But I wrote this scene after I already posted the one where Padme faked her death. So it didn't fit. But this seemed the perfect place for it. I figure, as a dream, its not technically a flashback so it can be out of order, right? (I'm going to assume you agree, it's easier on my ego.) And, as Mike said, it makes for a great seguay.

**Solarstorm:** Here you go, as requested, one very short wait. (And a short chapter, but don't fret, the next one is on it's way.)

**A/N **Okay, this is short, but the governors aren't cooperating with me and my newest cast addition speaks with a heavy accent that I'm having trouble writing. (It's wreaking havoc with my spellcheck too, now I know why I avoid the darned thing!) But the next two chapters are mostly written and will follow shortly. (I hope)

I've noticed that my title doesn't fit with my story anymore. If anyone has any suggestions for a new title, I would like to hear them. I may not change it, but I'm going to seriously think about it.

On with the show.

* * *

**Sorrow Multiplied**

**Chapter 11**

_Following a small family through the streets of Mos Eisely without being noticed was not easy. Despite being one of the biggest, noisiest, and most disgusting places on the planet, the spaceport just wasn't that big. The former queen was beginning to wonder just how big the _galaxy_ was. She'd been in town barely an hour and she'd already run into three beings she knew through Redge and all of them had wanted to know what she was doing here. To top it all off, the boy had almost seen her twice now. _

_Obi-wan had warned her not to let him see her. It did not matter that he'd barely spent a week with her before he'd gone to live with the Lars family. According to Obi-wan he was more in tune with the force than his sister. He would recognize her instantly and that would be bad. Little Luke was already too visible, according to the old Jedi. If Vader happened to look this way..._

_But there was no way she could not see her boy, even if she couldn't let him see her. He was six years old now. She couldn't help smiling as he stopped trailing his aunt to help an old lady who had tripped. The woman smiled at him and pushed him off to catch up. She knew clothing did not vary much in the dessert, but she could have sworn Luke was wearing Ani's old clothes. _

_Despite that, the resemblance wasn't as great as she had thought it might be. Yes, Luke had that sandy blond hair and those deep blue eyes, but that was all he seemed to get from his father. Where Ani had been solidly built as a boy, Luke was slender. Luke did not look nearly as stubborn either, though according to Obi-wan he seemed to have inherited both his parent's stubbornness. And her little boy always seemed to be looking at something else. Ani had always been focused on what was coming now. Luke seemed to spend a lot of time thinking, dreaming, and planning. Padmè had no idea where he might have gotten that from. Certainly not from her._

_Luke turned and glanced over his shoulder and she had to duck behind a doorway. Luckily, the boy ran right into his aunt's back, buying his mother a reprieve. Padmè paused and tugged at her cloak; the material was hot, but from the heat that bathed her face and hands, she knew it helped more than it hurt. She wondered if anyone actually liked being here. Certainly no one she had met liked the planet. Well, Jedi Qui gon had liked it well enough, but he had always seemed to like every planet._

_Wondering why she was thinking about dead jedi when her son was so close, Padmè rushed out of her hiding place to catch up with Beru. She hurried a bit too fast and ran right into another cloaked figure._

_"My apologies-" She broke off as she recognized the cloak and the man inside. "Obi-wan!"_

_"You should leave now, milady." He said calmly. His hair and beard were graying a bit and Padmè couldn't help but notice the laugh lines around his eyes were turning into real wrinkles. _

_"I know, I shouldn't even be here. I know these are good people, but I can't help feeling like I've abandoned him. And I've left him _here_ of all places!"_

_He smiled at her sadly. "It is the only way. Well, the only way worth considering. Some of my colleagues had other ideas, but you would have liked them even less."_

_The former queen shuddered, knowing 'colleagues' meant Master Yoda. She'd heard his plan and it had taken all her self control and a fierce kick from one of the twins to keep her from doing something insane. "I know, Obi- Ben. I know. I just wish..."_

_The old jedi laid a hand on her shoulder. "I know. I too wish there were another way, that things had turned out differently_

_They stood that way for a long time, comfortable in the feeling of shared pain. Both felt better for knowing that there was at least one other person in the galaxy who understood._

_"I had better leave. Kerinè is expecting me any time now. When I found out they were here, I just had to see him once," She tried to smile and failed. _

_The old Jedi handed her two paper-wrapped packages. "One is for you the other is for Bail Organa, on Alderaan. It should be hand delivered to him." _

_Padmè smiled and nodded. It was always the same. Though she had only been able to see him twice, Beru, bless the woman, always made sure Ben had something to give her. This time the package was large and flat. Curiosity tore at her, but Padmè resisted. She tucked both bundles into her cloak and quickly hugged the old Jedi._

_"What would I do without you, Obi-wan?" She whispered for his ears only._

_"You would be a lot happier, milady." he wore that look of self loathing she'd seen on him occasionally since Anakin had gone. She knew he was torturing himself, that if it weren't for her and Luke, he might not have even lived this long._

_"How dare you!" She had to fight not to slap him. "If you weren't here, I would be dead along with my children. Don't you ever think that Obi-wan Kenobi. You have saved my life time and again and now you are looking after my boy. Right now," her voice softened as she looked into his eyes,"you are the one good part about my life. Between you and Bail, you've not only kept me alive, but you've kept me sane."_

_He could not have managed a smile if his life depended on it, but he did manage not to frown. "I'm only doing what I can. It's not much, I'm afraid."_

_"It's enough." She hugged him again and quickly turned into the crowd. The jedi stood still. After another moment, he was joined by a man in farmer's clothes. _

_"What did you tell her?"_

_"To hold on. What else could I tell her, Owen?"_

_The farmer grunted and crossed his arms. "How about stay away?"_

_Obi-wan managed a bemused smile. "And what if Vader and the Emperor died tomorrow and she told the same thing to you?"_

_Owen grunted again. _

_"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone else you care about him. I won't ruin your cover."_

_After another grunt, then both turned and walked away in unison._

_Back on her ship, Padmè waved hello to Kerinè and rushed toward her cabin. The girl, barely eight years old, was turning out to be a fair mechanic and was working on one of the doors, which seemed to be stuck._

_Ignoring her cheerful "welcome back!" Padmè slapped the door panel quickly and flopped onto her sleep couch. She tore at the wrapping on the thin package and soon held her prize. It was a drawing. The medium was crude, a local mineral that had been crushed and mixed with wax formed the writing instrument. The page was one of the thin sheets the locals made. It was closer to glass than paper, but it worked almost the same. Despite the inferior quality, the artwork was the best gift she'd ever been given._

_It depicted a small aircraft of a kind Padmè did not recognize. The lines were thick and broken, but the placement of each mark had been done with precision and care. There were details in the drawing that made her think of schematics and blueprints. She ran one finger along the wing of the plane. Luke had done this drawing. He already loved to fly and apparently loved planes just as much. _

_Settling the image on her dressing table, Padmè quickly wiped her face and headed out to check on Kerinè, who was proud to show off the newly repaired door hydraulics._

* * *

Ever since the republic had fallen, Naboo had been on it's own. With little or no input from outside sources, a population can stagnate. With no common thread holding them together, with no overall governing agent, even the smallest difference can turn friends into enemies. Understanding this, the Gungans had disappeared when the planet, as a whole, neglected to fill the vacancies left in it's government by Palpatine's massacre. After decades, the leaders of smaller sections of the government had risen to control larger and larger parts, while other, more remote, areas became completely lawless. 

While this was happening, the native inhabitants of the world stayed hidden. They lived alone in their underwater cities and watched their friends fade away. However, some of them felt guilty about the seclusion. Some Gungans, especially the younger ones, felt guilty about abandoning their former allies. They had heard Queen Amidala's speeches about unity and working together and couldn't help but wonder if their races withdrawal had contributed to the decline of the Naboo civilization.

However, the leaders wanted nothing to do with the Naboo. They were from the old school of thought and decided that it had been a mistake to ever ally themselves with humans. So, those who wanted to help, had to do so in secret. A small band of Gungans had been in contact with a small band of Naboo and together they had been working to try and stabilize the failing civilizations.

They gathered resources to rebuild and care for fallen monuments, they passed around artwork and music that would remind people of the past. It was a small contribution. There was little obvious effect, but eventually, they started seeing results. People formed groups on their own to do the things the government had previously done. Individuals worked together to clean and maintain the roads. Schools volunteered to repair murals and statuary. Eventually, little reminders of the past began popping up everywhere. Not just in Theed, but all over the planet. Nothing new was accomplished, but people who had fallen into depression and despair at the rise of the empire eventually realized they could do something after all. They could teach their children what had happened, so that maybe mistakes would not be repeated.

This, ultimately, was the goal of the little group. They wanted to remind their friends and families of what hope was like and maybe keep just a little part of their past. It ultimately wouldn't save the planet. They knew that, even from the beginning. But their hope was that they could keep it together until some who could save them arrived. Now, their dream had come true. Someone had arrived to save them, but that person needed help that only they could give.

Telia knew her friends would have already heard what was going on. She knew the Gungans in the group would be speaking to their leaders right now, she also knew they couldn't know the latest development, the one she'd heard on the way to the forest. The Queen was missing. The car they had taken had disappeared and was believed to have crashed. It was not hopeless to believe the former queen and her children to be alive, they were not easy to get rid of. But their disappearance could be used to spur the Gungan government into action, or at least into peace talks.

The Gungan leadership had changed again. The old boss had passed on and the new leader was of a younger generation, though not one of the underground group. However, Boss Tyro would definitely be more receptive than his predecessor. Telia abandoned her speeder at the edge of a large lake and took one of the groups submarine vessels to the hidden Gungan city.

* * *

Once at the Palace, Han's mission was stymied by a throng of reporters. They had mobbed the building and seemed to be everywhere. Now, more than just local yokels were aiming recorders; beings from all over the Galaxy were in front of the building being held off by a hand full of what looked like planetary security. The noise level alone was enough to drive a man crazy. Deciding this wasn't his area of expertise, the former smuggler hurried out of the crowd. 

Slipping through some severely overgrown foliage, Han made his way around the building Having seen only a small part of the once great city, Han was surprised at the state the building had fallen to. The great pillars and statuary that decorated the building were covered in vines and lichens. Plasticrete windows were broken or clouded over with grime while the gardens that had obviously taken a great deal of time to create grew over with weeds. A small animal of some kind crawled out of a crack in the stonework even as the smuggler watched.

Han was in luck, the fire red sunset revealed a window on the second level had been broken, providing a perfect entrance into the structure. He dragged a large table over to the wall and prepared to climb in, when he heard voices coming his way. Jumping down, he prepared to grab his blaster.

A woman walked into view just as he was reaching for the weapon and he paused. With waist length red hair in a long braid and a charcoal colored suit, she might have been a reporter. It would definitely be a bad idea for a hero of the rebellion to fire on innocent reporters. Han could just imagine what Leia would say about that!

"Who are you?" Han asked the surprised woman. Before she could answer, a tall, gangly alien climbed out of the same bush she had. It had orange skin and long ears and wore a blue robe with dignity, though it kept tugging at the material.

"Missuss Teleea? Whatsa goin on?"

Telia turned back. "We have to avoid the reporters. Just give me a moment to deal with this one and then we'll make it to the assembly." She stepped toward Han threateningly. A vibroblade appeared in her hand and Han stepped back. Apparently this woman did not share Leia's attitude toward the press.

"Now listen, miss," Han began. "I'm not a reporter, I'm a friend of Leia Organa's."

Telia snarled and glared at him. "If you are a friend of the ambassador, why are you climbing in through the window?"

Looking sheepishly at the table behind him, Han shrugged. "She doesn't exactly know I'm coming. I just have to see her. It's important"

Eyeing him steadily, Telia relaxed her pose. The knife disappeared and she stepped toward Han. "I'm Telia Nor Fillia. I'm bringing an ambassador to help."

"My name's Han Solo. Did you plan on climbing in through the window too?"

"No, I plan to use the secret passageway built into the wall for maintenance purposes." She stepped around Han and headed for a blank stretch of stone. She knelt and pushed aside some weeds, exposing a small metal panel. Under the panel was a keypad. After she entered a sequence to fast and long for Han to follow, a seam appeared in the stone and a section of the wall moved in.

"I take it you've been here before then?"

* * *

Inside the conference, tempers were raging. A few well placed comments had worked the local governors into a state of fury. Many were convinced they were going to be put on trial for crimes against the monarchy. Others had been on his payroll for quite some time and believed they would have a place in his new government if they helped him. His plan was working perfectly. The former queen and her children were a safe distance away, locked safely in a vault and soon the situation would be ripe for him to step in. 

Yes, he may have no power now, but when he miraculously rescued the queen after settling the disputes here, they would elect him King. It was only a matter of time now, everything was in place.

"Sir?" The voice was timid and whining.

"What is it? You are supposed to be guarding-" He broke off and looked around. In a quieter tone, he said, "You are supposed to be guarding_ them_."

The weasely little man trembled. "But- But sir! You called us back here. Didn't you?"


	12. Chapter 12 Escape

Hi again! Yes, the last chapter was short. So, to make up for that, this chapter is rather long. I just couldn't think of a good way to break it up.

I discovered somthing from your reviews, apparently I'm a lot more deep than I thought. The bit with Owen and Obi-wan was meant to be lighter, but I guess it didn't turn out that way. Ookay, I'll get to relpies.

**REV042175**: You are, as always, very astute. :-) Either that or I'm not as subtle as I thought.

Owen isn't a jerk, he's just worried. Wouldn't you be, knowing that you were caring for Darth Vader's child and that the one person he wants to find the most is so close? I know I'd be terrified.

I've always felt for poor Obi-wan, even the first time I saw the first movie. He hasn't got it easy.

_Reclaiming Yesterday_... I like it!I like it alot. I'm going to have to seriously think about that one.

**Beornthryth**: I couldn't kill off the gungans. It would just be wrong (and, as you said, near impossible) Thanks for the compliment, I just did what seemed to make the most sense.

**Kazzy**: Word limit on reviews? Heaven forbid! I don't know what I'd do them. Yes, the chapter was short, this one's longer, I promise.

My mom has a stack of items made by me and my siblings. My grandmother has a box in the top of her closet with a similar collection. Report cards, drawings, little books we made in school. I guess it's a mom thing. I picked a plane because Luke woudln't have had much experience with Ships and shuttles and you can't fly a speeder. Remember, Luke later owns a light plane (T-16 Skyhopper) so it's not out of line for the planet to have other light aircraft. Maybe I should have used a different word though... Let me go back and look at it, I might correct that.

I have to say, I never meant for there to bo so much in Owen and Obi-wan's conversation. It was supposed to be a slightly humorous comment. What can I say? I guess I'm deeper than I thought.

Ah, all will become evident in time. Han and Telia will be a great help, they just don't know it yet. This chapter kinda drags out a bit, but I just couldn't figure out a way to chop it up.I hope it's not too long.

**Authors Note:** There's a lot going on here, but it looks like there are only going to be a couple more chapters. I just thought I'd warn you.

* * *

_Sorrow Multiplied_

Chapter 12

l

Luke turned to his mother and sister. The former had just finished relating her run in with their captors. He still felt queasy and off balance, but Leia had assured him that he would survive. "Do you have any idea who he could have been talking about?"

Padmè shook her head. "No idea. The man's name was never said. After he hurt you, I didn't dare ask any questions."

"Don't worry about it mom. I'm fine." Luke told her absently. "But we do need to get out of here."

"I've got an idea." Leia said. She had been peering out of the steel bars to their prison and now she turned around. "Why don't we just blast our way out. When I was trying to wake Luke up, I could feel all around us. There aren't many of them. We can take them all out easily."

Padmè only considered it a moment. "I'm game. Luke, would you do the honors?" She gestured toward the door.

Luke shook his head slowly with a slight grin on his face. He ignited his lightsabre as soon as it was in his hand. "Why does this all seem terribly familiar?"

His sister grinned at him and stepped back. "It should, it's your plan. Remember? From the first Death Star. It worked well enough then, it shouldn't be too much harder to pull off this time."

Luke sliced through both the lock and the hinges and the gate fell with a loud clanging noise. He winced and stepped out slowly. "Well, it looks like you were right, Leia. If anyone was close enough to hear that, they would have sounded the alarm."

Leia followed him and Padmè followed cautiously. The narrow, low ceilinged, tunnel left them walking single file and it apparently ended with their prison. Luke led then through the long tunnel at a very fast pace. After a time, the tunnel widened out and branched into four options. There was nothing to signify which would lead them out. All angled down and into darkness. So far, they had been led by glowrods anchored to the ceiling, but it appeared that their captors could see in the dark because they had left no more.

"It's a technique for holding prisoners. If you black out the corridors they are just as likely to walk into a trap as to escape. Palace security used the technique a couple of times to catch would be assassins." Padmè's voice was tense, but even.

Luke looked to his sister. "Well, this is your plan, where do we go next?" He didn't need to say that right now he couldn't trust his own force sense.

Leia looked to each hallway. On impulse, she closed her eyes and concentrated. Yes, the presence that had helped her find Luke was still there. She reached out to it, dropping to her knees on the hard stone floor.

_I need your help again. We're lost."_ She called to the voice.

The chuckle that answered was a warm baritone. _"I will try to direct you, but you must not lose contact with me or I may not be able to help you anymore."_

She felt a dizzy when she opened her eyes, but she stood anyway. The voice was still in the back of her mind. He hesitated, unsure of the route. Finally, he said, _"The second corridor to the left."_

"This way," Leia called to her family.

They ran for a time, then came to another fork. Her benefactor was ready. _"Take the left fork."_

Leia didn't hesitate. She followed his instructions blindly, barely aware of the corridors around her or her family behind her. The trip passed in a blur of brown and black. Later, Luke would tell her that the path had been dark the entire way, but Leia clearly remembered seeing the corridor walls and cautioning her family where to turn and when to look out for fallen stones.

The trip took nearly a half an hour, but they did eventually reach daylight. Leia stopped in the waning sunlight to thank her new friend.

"_Who are you?" _she asked again.

_"You wouldn't believe me if I told you, little Leia."_ Somehow, his voice was familiar.

_"Well, thank you. D o you know what happened to the guards?"_

_"They left. Right after they threatened your mother, they ran out. I'm afraid they took the speeder."_

Leia laughed out loud, earning a glance from Luke and Padmè. _"We'll walk. Can you give me a direction?"_

_"Yes, but then I must go. Head east. Directly east. There you will be able to contact your friends and get a ride back to Theed."_

_"Thank you again... I wish I knew your name."_

He laughed again and Leia opened her eyes quickly, thinking Luke had taken her hand but both he and Padmè were across the clearing. There was no one ther to touch her, yet she still felt as if someone was holding her hand firmly. The feeling faded slowly and she headed over to her family.

"We should head east." She told them evenly.

"Where did you go?" Luke asked her.

She frowned. "I was having a conversation with someone I think I should know. I don't know, he might be dead."

Padmè interrupted them. "If we're going anywhere, we need to do it quickly. We are losing daylight."

The march through the forest was more difficult than the run through the cavern. Leia and Padmè's gowns snagged on every branch and twig and the heavy fabric made travel slow. Luke was slightly better off, but he soon shed the heavy cloak and carried it as a bundle instead. He took the lead position and broke the trail for the girls, but he frequently found himself backtracking to help one of them tear their way out of a bush.

On one such occasion, Leia commented, "Can someone tell me again why I am dressed this way?"

"Funny, I was going to ask the same thing," Padmè confessed, trudging up to meet the pair.

"Well, I don't mind my outfit as much out here." Luke grinned and gave Leia's skirt a final tug, freeing her from the thorny vine she'd caught. "I retract all my earlier comments about your choice of garments, Mother."

Leia stuck her tongue out at him again and he grinned, then swayed unsteadily. "Come on. My force sense is still weak, but I think there are people up ahead. It won't be far now."

The princess couldn't feel what he did, but wasn't surprised. It seemed they'd been walking forever. The meager light from the sunset was nearly gone now, making her run into even more obstacles. She promised herself each time she became entangled, that she would never again curse simply wearing a dress. She would find some way to thank the designer of her much more practical senatorial gowns, however long he or she might have been dead.

Luke had been right, they were approaching a town of some size. And none too soon. The jedi had begun swaying slowly whenever they paused and Leia feared what that poison might be doing to him. Her brother was strong, but apparently prone to illnesses. This was not the first time he'd been poisoned in the last four years.

The town was close now, they could hear shouting and speeders. Padmè rushed ahead while Leia slowed to help Luke, who was now stumbling. She wondered if he was getting worse, or if he was just tired enough now to let show how ill he truly was. Either way, he needed help as soon as possible.

Leia felt a wave of reassurance from somewhere as she wrapped her arm around Luke's waist and laid his arm over her shoulders. He was protesting weakly, but accepting her support at the same time. She thought the reassurance might be from the mysterious man who had been helping her all along, but she couldn't be sure.

Padmè rushed out when they found the edge of the trees. There was a road bustling with people and what was obviously some kind of street fair. At first, no one noticed the tattered Queen, but slowly, one by one, people took notice. Whole groups turned as one when she called out and breaths caught in throats. He gown was dirty and wet, handing in strips some places. The gown was more brown than silver now and the blue trim, which had been a lighter material, had torn in many places from the repeated yanks and pulls. Her hair had pulled loose from the headdress and was clumped and falling into her face. Mud smeared her cheek and her gloves had been abandoned somewhere behind her. Despite this, she was recognized instantly.

A moment later, Leia appeared. The princess was in little better shape than her mother. The black and red did not show the dirt as bad, but her skirt was completely shredded and one of her sleeves was missing. Her braids had fared better, but she was just as dirty and wet. Luke was in better shape, having not fallen as often as the others, but he was only half conscious and being mostly carried by his sister.

After another shocked moment, two men rushed out from the crowd and took Luke from his sister's arms. A woman in a suit came forward.

"Your highness? Are you okay?"

* * *

Padmè managed to retain consciousness throughout her visit to the medicenter, though exhaustion tore at her. She had no idea how long it had been since they had left the palace. Sunset had only been a few hours away when they had left for dinner. Either they had been unconscious in the cave for an entire night and day, or for just over an hour. Leia had passed out on the way to the center and Luke was still out from the poison. As it was, Padmè was healthy and was mostly being ignored by the medicenter staff as they passed by. Her tattered gown had been traded for borrowed pants and a new shirt and her hair lay in a simple plait down her back, still wet from her quick shower.

The nurses told her Leia would wake anytime now, having only suffered exhaustion. Padmè guessed that had something to do with the strange Force connection she seemed to have been experiencing while they were escaping. She knew, from her time with Anakin that, for someone unused to it, that could be tiring. Right now, the former queen was waiting for the nurse she had been speaking with to be available again. Padmè still didn't know what room her daughter was in.

The nurse turned back to her just long enough to give the information, and rushed down the hallway, Padmè headed the other direction. She reached the room to find Leia already awake. "How's Luke?"

Padmè smiled. "He's going to be okay, Leia. You were right, it was an allergic reaction. The doctors say he'll be just fine in another couple of days, though he wouldn't be if we'd waited much longer. They're keeping him unconscious for a time, to help his body recover."

Leia smiled too. "That's probably a good idea. Knowing Luke he'd probably go chasing down our kidnappers as soon the doctors turned their backs."

The princess was wearing a long white shift that wasn't terribly attractive, but was much more comfortable than the gown they had cut her out of upon reaching the hospital. "I guess the dress was in such terrible shape they burned it. I can't say as I'm sorry to see it go."

Her mother laughed. "I was politely asked if I wanted mine washed or destroyed while I was showering. The nurse said you were supposed to sleep for a while longer."

"I'm alright mother, really. It's been over two hours, I'll be fine. Has anyone sent word to the Palace that we're okay?"

"No, not yet. They may not even know we are missing yet."

* * *

"What yousa meanin Miss Padmè issa missing?" The Gungan cried, throwing up his arms in frustration. "Did yousa lose her?"

"She was kidnaped, Ambassador. We are looking into it." Governor Lisk told him. The Gungan had walked in moments ago demanding to see the former queen. At his side had been two humans, neither of whom anyone present recognized. Now, the man spoke up.

"Did you _lose_ Princess Leia and Jedi Skywalker too?" The man was frighteningly calm, though his eyes flashed with anger.

"Who are you?" Lisk asked the stranger.

"General Han Solo, New Republic Navy. Who are _you?_"

"Governor Arnor Lisk. I can not tell you how sorry I am that I was not able to prevent this catastrophe."

Han eyed the man. He recognized a duplicity in the man beyond that of a simple politician. He'd known coming in that his friends were missing and worried about them, but Telia had asked him to help her here. He knew Luke and Leia pretty well now and their mother had survived twenty years with a price placed on her head by the Emperor himself. Han guessed they would turn up any time now.

"Mya only talkin with Padmè." The Gungan said with finality, turning toward the door. He strolled out, leaving Telia and Han in the throne room. Telia turned to Lisk slowly.

"I suggest you all call it a night. Perhaps the Ambassadors will turn up by morning."

Most occupants of the room were exhausted by now and nodded agreement despite Lisk's protests. Telia smiled and bowed cleanly.

"Well, if any of you are interested, there are rooms ready for you on the level just below this one. The kitchens are also open, if anyone is hungry." She turned and left the room, followed by Han. Some of the young people from her group were waiting outside to direct the men and women to rooms and one winked at her. She led Han to her own apartment, satisfied that they had accomplished something.

"Can you tell me what's going on? It's all well and good to tell me that my friends were kidnaped but they are safe now..."

"Miss Padmè and her children are safe, they are in a hospital in a small town just an hour's drive from here. Jedi Skywalker suffered an allergic reaction and is being help until he recovers. My friends in that town are keeping me notified."

"So why the secrecy? Why not tell everyone that they are okay?"

Telia smiled and began fiddling with some piece of electronics on her end table. "Because they haven't come forward yet. I think one of the governors is responsible for their kidnaping. By now, he or she knows they have escaped. I am hoping whoever it is will slip up and show his cards."

"Ahh, they don't know that we know that they know, gotcha." Han sat for a long moment, then said, "So, what should we be looking for?"

"I'm waiting for word from my friends. Only a few senators brought aids. Each aid is currently being followed, as are any senators that choose to leave themselves, and all communications to the rooms are being monitored. Eventually, the kidnapper will say or do something to alert us."

"So we wait?"

"We wait," she said firmly, focusing on her tools.

Han sighed. "I hate waiting."

* * *

"Leia, who were you talking to, when you were trying to wake Luke up?" Padmè asked her daughter. They were both sitting at Luke's bedside, waiting for him to wake up, again. It was morning and he was, according to the doctors, over the worst of it. He should be able to leave after a brief exam.

"I don't know. He wouldn't tell me his name. How did you know I was talking to someone?"

"Your lips were moving, though you were too quiet for me to hear. You sat there for so long, I was starting to get worried about you." Padmè took her daughters hand. "You said it was someone you thought you should know?"

Leia frowned. "I think I know him. He sounded familiar, no, he felt familiar." She corrected herself. "I don't know much about the force, Luke is the only one I really sense. But this person, I just know I know him. Do you know what I mean?"

Padmè swallowed hard. "Yes, I think I do. And... I think I know who you were talking to."

"How would you..."

"Because I've been talking to him too." Padmè looked down at the bed next to her where her son still lay.

Leia frowned. "Everyone says I look so much like my mother, but right now, You look just like Luke did when he-" she broke off, horrified. "No. You are not going to tell me I was talking to Darth Vader!"

"Honey, I think you were talking to your father."

The princess turned away, tears filling her eyes. She faced the window and stood there until Luke said, "Hi mom."

"How do you feel, Luke?" Leia turned quickly.

"I'm fine, are you okay, Leia?" He asked, noticing the tear tracks that she had almost hidden under her broad smile.

"I'm fine." She said cheerfully.

"We were just dredging up old memories." Padmè added. "The doctors say you can leave today."

Luke smiled now. "Hey, that's great. I don't really like these places anyway."

"You sure end up in the medicenter an awful lot for someone who doesn't like it." Leia accused playfully.

"It's not my fault!" Luke said innocently, playing the old line to perfection. Their discussion was interrupted by a nurse, who immediately went for a doctor. Luke was pronounced fit and given his freshly laundered clothes back.

He frowned at the stack of cream colored cloth. "Hey, how come you two get real clothes and I'm stuck wearing this again?"

Leia laughed, "Our gowns were ruined. You could always go back to the palace in your hospital shift."

He frowned and headed for the 'fresher to change. He reappeared clean and fully dressed after only a few minutes. "So how are we getting back?"

"The mayor of this fine town has offered us the use of her private speeder," Padmè told them with a smile. "I guess she had formed a celebration, honoring my return and when we walked out of the bushes..."

Luke grinned. "I can imagine."

Padmè drove the speeder. She knew the planet best, it having been her home for so long. There was little to see, though. They flew back over the roads so the return trip took longer than the trip out.

"I still can't think who would want to hurt me here." Padmè told her children. "He said that his boss was the rightful ruler and that I was in the way."

Luke frowned. "Not that I'm complaining, but why didn't he just kill us all?"

"If mother had been killed now, she would have just turned into a martyr. That would have made it unlikely that this guy would be elected and it would have been impossible for him to take over by force." Leia pondered this for a moment. "Who even knew we were leaving?"

"Well, it was the Governor's aid who took us to the speeder. Odds are, nobody but the one aid and Lisk himself knew we had even left the palace. Lisk was keeping the security very tight. There would have to be a leak." Padmè told them.

Luke frowned. "He would have to have someone on his staff that was working for our captors and I sensed no duplicity from anyone we came in contact with, though a few had natural shields."

"That's not uncommon." Padmè said, not looking from the controls. "Ani told me once that most senators and the people who worked around them all the time were hard to read."

Leia grunted and crossed her arms. Luke sighed patiently. "Was that for the information or the source?"

"Both," Leia told him tersely.

"Well, for whatever it's worth, it's true. At least, as far as I've seen." Luke was worried. His sister had been doing so well. Despite his words to Padmè, it seemed that Leia truly had accepted the truth and moved on. But ever since he'd awakened in the hospital, she'd been distant, with that sarcastic edge to her voice that he knew meant she was struggling with something.

"So we have no way of knowing who it was? We can't know who could be after us or who is working with them?" Leia asked surprisingly calmly, though that meant nothing with her.

The silence in the car was deafening. It was Padmè who broke it. "I wouldn't say that Leia. Remember Telia's surveillance system?"

* * *

At the Palace, Telia and Han were alternating watching the final surveillance footage from inside the palace. They had to rely on old fashioned spying for everything else, but Telia's friends took care of that. Empty rooms were unmonitored, thanks to the motion sensors Telia had installed, even so most of her screens were divided into fourths just to keep track of the senators rooms. The bank of monitors showed nearly a hundred rooms, all of which were occupied. A handful of blank monitors could be used to enlarge any images that they might find interesting.

For the most part, people were doing everyday things, nothing out of the ordinary. Some slept, some ate, and some were reading or watching the holonet, all trying to relax. Only three were currently holding conversations and all three were being recorded and monitored by Han. He had no volume, but based on their motions, he guessed two of them conversing casually. One was a large group half of the participants were laughing, in the other, the two men were drinking something so strong even Han wouldn't touch it. The third, though, was something else entirely.

The third monitor showed a room full of people. A heavyset Governor that Han had seen earlier, a small and shady looking man, and a handful of burly guards. A young woman came in several times to bring items tot he senator, but the men stopped talking each time and did not resume until she had left. Both his smuggler past and the time he'd spent with the rebellion told him these were not the actions of an honest man.

Telia was snoring on the lumpy sofa and Han decided not to wake her for this. When the small man left the room, Han followed him on the monitors while he commed one of Telia's friends. After giving her the man's description and heading, he switched of f the device and split his attention between the senator's room and the shady man's progress. After another minute, just before the man made it outside, Han spotted the tail on the monitors. He grinned and switched the view away.

The senator had sent his guards away and they were now in their own rooms. The senator, whose name Han wished he had learned, was reading a datapad quietly in his chair. Several more of the rooms were inhabited by sleeping men and women, allowing Han to switch off those screens and consolidate the images again.

The smuggler couldn't help stealing a glance at the woman sleeping on the sofa. If only the rebellion had been able to recruit her. This entire setup was amazing. It was all manual, but from what he gathered, she had built it herself. Not only had she built it piece by piece, she'd done it from scraps. Han could only imagine the kind of effort it took for a single being to wire an entire palace, the size of this one, by herself. It was no wonder they didn't have sound.

Thanks to this woman's brilliance, they would soon catch his friends' kidnappers.


	13. Chapter 13 Old Friends

Okay, thirteen days between updates is incredibly long, I know. I hit a snag, but I've worked through it. On the plus side, it took thirteen days to get to chapter thirteen. That's got to be good luck, right?

There are only going to be a few more chapters, I'm not sure how many yet. Anyway, the end is near, and I don't mean the apocalypse. I want to thank all of you who have put up with my erratic updates and offered your suggestions. I'll leave one more warning, on the second to last chapter, but I'm not going to harp on it.

**Kazzy:** yeah... Did I mention that updates would be erratic at best? I really appreciate you sticking with me every chapter like this, its really great of you.  
What can I say? I've been accused of being honest to a fault more often than I can count.

You've hit the nail on the head with Leia, glad to know I did that right, anyway. :-) And those dresses were horrible. Have you ever tried to walk through the woods in a full length skirt? Even in the daylight in regular clothes it's not easy.

We are definitely on the same wavelength! That is exactly what I was thinking when I wrote the scene with the mysterious gungan. Did you figure out who it was? It doesn't matter, I'm going to tell you in this chapter anyway. :-) I hope you like it.

**REV042175:** There's not going to be much more about Leia until next chapter, but then we are going to seriously address her parental issues.

I love writing Han, but he has had to take a backseat this time. This is a Skywalker story, at least for now. He will get an official 'welcome' later on, though...

I know that you haven't ever tried to walk through the woods in a full skirt, but you can trust me when I say that my description was pretty accurate. I know, I've done it. (It's really murder on your shoes too, but I didn't want to go there in the story. Trust me when I say fasion boots with three inch heels are not the best shoes to wear on a long hike, and if you intend to wear them anywhere keep spare shoes in the car. You never know when you might break down...)

I'm hoping for dramatic with Leia and her father, but who knows. You never know what you're going to get with these people. Nothing particularly important happens this chapter, but the fluff should tide you over...

**SSG Micheal B Jackson:** Since everybody seemed upset at the quick updates,I waited a good long time to post this one... just kidding, it wasn't intentional.

Leia will get to deal with her issues later, this chapter is kind of a transitional one. Chapter fourteen will deal with some major issues, though. Han's involvement will probably stay minimal. This story really isn't about him, though he just couldn't stay out of it.

I like Telia too, but I don't think she's going to get much more screen time than she has already gotten. Maybe she'll get a companion piece later on... Again, this story is about the Skywalkers, I really can't cut them out to give the secondary characters more screen time. That just isn't a good policy to keep. :-)

**Well that's it, on with the story!**

* * *

_**Sorrow Multiplied**_

_**Chapter 13**_

_Padmè saw each of her children a few more times. Leia, of course, was in the news reports often. Alderaan wasn't very important in the political arena right now, but it was one of the few civilized planets with a monarchy that was still hereditary. That made it great fodder for the society columns. The former queen kept a copy of every article._

_Luke was harder to keep track of. She relied on visits to Obi-wan to hear anything of him at all. No more drawings came into her possession, but Beru made sure Padmè had holos and recordings every time she came. Progress reports on the boy's grades were cause for celebration and she cried when she read that he'd been sick. Thankfully, that happened only rarely. Through his aunt, Padmè learned that her little boy was growing up to be strong, handsome, and intelligent, and each progress report left her in tears just a little longer than the last. _

_She was able to see each of her children in person once more. Leia was in the audience chamber during her next visit to Bail and while she waited patiently for her turn to speak to the King, the girl, now seven, struck up a conversation with her._

_"Hello, Miss Sabè." Leia said with a bow._

_"Hello, Princess. I hope you are well?" Padmè nodded calmly._

_Leia nodded, staring at her mother. Then she caught herself. "I am very well, Miss. I was wondering, do you know that you look very much like my mother?"_

_Stricken, Padmè almost couldn't bring herself to speak. The child couldn't have made a larger impact on the former queen if she'd struck the woman. Swallowing hard, Padmè managed to say, "The Queen, Princess?"_

_"Yes. You look quite a bit like her. Enough alike to be sisters."_

_Not sisters, but very close. Friends close enough to have been sisters. Padmè fought tears and breathed, "No, I didn't know. I've never met the Queen."_

_Leia smiled faintly, obviously turning something over in her mind. "How long will you be here?"_

_"I'm sorry, Princess, could you repeat that?" Padmè had been fighting so hard to breath, she'd forgotten to listen._

_"Are you going to be in the city for very long? You said that maybe we could play together." The girl did not pout and she did not beg. She stood there very serenely and asked._

_Yes, oh, yes! I'll stay as long as you ask me to! "I'm afraid not, Princess. I have already agreed to transport a shipment for the King and after that I'm afraid I've already been booked for another shipment by a trader on Malastare."_

_Leia looked very disappointed and Padmè clasped her hands tightly around the package she was holding so they wouldn't automatically reach out and comfort the girl. "But I'm sure you have much better things to do than to hang around with a tired old trader."_

_"I like you," Leia said brightly._

_"But you hardly know me." How much emotion can one person handle? Padmè felt as if she would be torn in two. Her baby girl was only asking for an hour or two, and she had to say no._

_The Princess did not get the chance to respond. Bail called out, "Trader, welcome!"_

_Padmè bowed as best she could with the bulky package in her arms. "I must leave now. Take care, Princess."_

_She jogged after Bail as he opened a door and led her out of the room and away from curious ears. Outside the door, a man took the package from her and she was able to hug her old friend. _

_"It is good to see you again, Milady." He said, releasing her after several moments._

_"Please, a King should not speak to a mere trader so." _

_"We are in a soundproofed, shielded room. No one will be the wiser. Did you have a pleasant conversation with Leia?" He sat and gestured toward another chair._

_"It gets harder every time I see her. She is so beautiful." _

_Bail smiled sadly. "She looks just like her mother." He sat for a long moment, not saying another word. Finally, Padmè spoke._

_"She said the same thing about me, just a moment ago. She said I looked like her mother." Padmè broke down in tears, only to find herself wrapped in strong arms. _

_"I'd thought something like that happened." He held her as she cried, supporting her. _

_"It's just too much, Bail. I miss them both so much, Then she says something like that and I just can't help it!" Padmè sobbed helplessly until she didn't have another tear in her. Then Bail let her go. _

_"Stay here. You can be Sabè, you can work around here. You could be a tutor or something." _

_"You know I can't. He's still looking for me. Even after all these years..."_

_Bail shook his head. "He thinks you're dead. You're dead and she doesn't exist. You would both be safe."_

_"And what would a trader be doing hanging around the palace? And what about Kerinè? And what if she gets attached to me and he comes? I'd have to leave again if I ever got word that he was even in the sector. I can't risk him sensing me, especially not near one of his children." Padmè spoke too fast, trying to convince herself as much as her friend._

_"Whoa, slow down. We'd figure out something for you to do here and Kerinè can be here too. And he won't come here. There is no reason for him to come here. You are dead, remember?" _

_"I can't, Bail. I just can't risk it. I can't risk her. I just can't." Padmè was close to tears. "Please don't ask me again."_

_"Alright. But remember that the offer still stands. Anytime you want it, just say the word." He pressed a small pouch into her hand, then stood. "I had better go. People might start to talk if we stay in here too long."_

_The former queen giggled, though it wasn't much of a joke. She followed him out and they parted ways with another hug, this one in the hallway where a guard gave them both an odd look. "Goodbye, you highness."_

_"Goodbye, Milady. Take care, of yourself and that young one."_

_She nodded and turned around. The route back to her ship passed far too slowly for her, but eventually she made it safely to her cabin, where she locked the door and poured over the new holos of her baby girl._

* * *

Despite his best efforts, he hadn't been able to spur the others back into argument after the arrival of that woman and her friends. And where had she found that creature? He'd begun to think them extinct. The others had listened to it, too. Worse, they had been silenced by it. If they worked together, his plan was ruined. 

The Queen still hadn't shown up, though his men assured him she was no longer in her prison. He could only hope she was lost in her own forest. Perhaps some creature had gotten her in the night.

He knew it wasn't so. She was probably the one who had found that abomination and sent it in here. The worthless creature couldn't even speak correctly. He lingered over his breakfast while he considered. A note had come with the meal telling he would be notified when meetings resumed.

No matter, his plan could still work, it would just take a little more work on his part.

* * *

The day was still young when they reached the city and Padmè insisted on stopping at the spaceport first. Kerinè was waiting for them at the boarding ramp to their ship. 

"How do you always do that?" Padmè asked the girl.

"Do what, Milady?"

Padmè scowled. "How do you always know when I'm coming? And would you stop calling me that."

Kerinè smiled and preceded her friends into the ship. A voice issued from the doorway tot he lounge. "Actually, she had help this time."

Telia stood, leaning against the door frame. Her long red hair had been tamed into a thick braid and she wore a loose robe that trailed from her arms. A largish datapad was in one hand and the stylus stuck up out of her hair like an ornament. "I commed her and said you were on your way and she insisted you would stop here first."

"She knows me so well," Padmè smiled fondly at her friend. "Why did you want to meet us?"

"And how did you know we were coming?" Leia added.

Telia settled on a nearby chair and balanced the datapad on one knee. "I have friends all over, they informed me as soon as you were found. Right now, we've got all the governors waiting. They don't know you're here. We are hoping to surprise them into revealing something." She tapped the scroll button several times, then paused. "I don't suppose any of you know who is responsible?"

"I only saw a handful of goons. I don't know who they were working for," Padmè said regretfully. "I wish I did. They said something about their boss being the 'rightful ruler,' whatever that means."

Handing the woman the datapad, Teila said, "Here, we've captured images of every single person who's been through the palace since you arrived. We also know who they spoke to and when. Perhaps you will recognize someone."

Luke looked over his mother's shoulder at the list. "But there are nearly a thousand images here!"

"And most of them are very bad, I know." The woman sighed. "It's a long shot, but right now, it's the best we have. There have been some suspicions, but so far we don't have anything."

Kerinè, who was still standing in the doorway, said, "I'm sure you will figure this out. Especially so, now that your friends are here." She was looking right at Luke and Leia.

The Princess frowned. "Our friends? No one knows we're here."

Now it was Kerinè's turn to frown. "He said he was your friend. I spoke to him when he landed. I sent him on to the palace, I knew you would meet him there eventually. I'm usually such a good judge of character..."

Padmè laid on hand on the girl's shoulder. "Everyone makes mistakes, Keri. But before you start berating yourself, let's find out who this mystery man is."

"Is this the same man whom I caught trying to sneak into the palace?" Telia asked.

"It could be, that would have been just a few minutes after I sent him there." Kerinè confessed. "I never saw him, I just spoke to him on the comlink. He said traffic control had put him right next to me. And that he was a friend of Princess Leia and Jedi Skywalker."

The redhead frowned. "Yeah, that sounds like the guy. He said is name was Solo. Said he was a General."

"That is not possible!" Leia cried, standing very still. "I've got to see this for myself!" She ran out of the ship and out of the private docking bay. In moments, she was standing outside the _Millennium Falcon_.

Luke smirked, having followed her. "He is a persistent one, isn't he? I'm sure he had a good reason for coming."

Telia had trailed the both of them. "Well, I don't know him well and I don't know why he came, but he's been a great help. The man has an amazing eye. He's got no trouble keeping track of two dozen screens at the same time and he can read facial expressions like a Jedi." She noticed Luke and winced. "No offence, there."

"Of course not."

"So where is he?" Leia asked, only slightly less perturbed.

"Where else, I've got him watching monitors and assigning tails. I'm having all of the Governors' assistants followed."

Leia raised an eyebrow in surprise. "He's playing commander of the troops?"

Luke smiled at her patiently. "Well, you did make him a general, Leia."

* * *

The man Han had been watching the night before was having another meeting. The governor had an older man in his room now and the guards had been left outside. Both whispered conspiratorially and glanced about often enough to make the most naive and trusting child suspicious. It didn't help much that they both looked like politicians, at least, not to Han's point of view. 

The entire planet made him nervous, which wasn't the best mood to be in when he was trying to contact Leia, but now that was an asset. Everyone here was so nice. It just wasn't natural. The smuggler just couldn't believe an entire population could be so perfect. Even the politicians were nice. Not the fake kind of nice, either. They were sincere, of all things.

Of course, someone was trying to kill two of the three people he cared about most in the galaxy. Whoever it was, it was probably one of the 'nice' politicians. That part just made him all the more suspicious fo the entire planet. Everyone was too perfect, too tragic.

Knowing that Leia was on her way here made him feel a little better. She was no longer just 'okay,' she was coming.

Han broke himself out of that train of thought when the older gentleman left the governor's room. He quickly had someone follow the old man to find out who he was and what the two of them were up to.

All the monitors were full this morning and many of them were set to alternate screens. Workers were swarming the palace, volunteers, all fo them. They were cleaning the walls and refinishing the floors. They were repairing windows and brining in furnishings for the empty rooms. Of course, many rooms would remain empty until their long term occupants were ready to settle in, but most received at least the basics. The segmented monitor screens did not offer the best view of all this activity. All Han could really see were far more people than he liked running around through the halls. There was no way this was secure. There was no way for him to protect Leia with all this activity.

* * *

On the way back to the Palace, Padmè examined the images Telia had captured. None of them looked familiar, though several did not offer a good enough view to be sure what the person looked like. One guard looked vaguely familiar, the former queen could not tell if she'd seen him in the cavern or if she'd seen him in the throne room the day before. 

"I can not tell if any of these people had anything to do with our kidnaping," she said, handing the datapad back regretfully. "I really must be losing my touch. There was a day when I would have been able to recognize the backs of those men's heads, not I can't recognize their faces."

"They might not be in there, mother." Luke took the older woman's hand. "I wouldn't have wanted them to come to me if I was the one who organized all this."

"Whoever it is, he would want to keep a close eye on things. His men have been back to the palace or they will be soon. I now it." Padmè said with a frown. "He's bound to be over confidant. He did underestimate us, after all."

Now it was Leia's turn to frown. "I don't think he underestimated us, I think..."

She trailed off and Luke prompted her to continue. "What is it, Leia?"

"I think someone intervened. I think they made the guards forget to check the pocket your 'sabre was in. I think they also called the guards away somehow. Convinced them to leave."

"But who would do that? No one even knew we were missing until after we had escaped." At Luke's question, both Padmè and Leia paled.

Padmè's face took on a vacant expression and she whispered, "Ani?"

* * *

The trip to the palace was short and four of them headed straight to the Queen's chambers to set their plan into action. As soon as they had entered, however, someone else burst into the room. 

"Missa Padmè? Mya so glad to be seeing yousa!" The Gungan rushed over and lifted the woman in a huge hug. "Mya thought yousa be dyin!"

Padmè spoke breathlessly into his shirt. "No, I am quite alive, at least for the moment." The Gungan put her down gently and she was finally able to take a good look at him. "Jar Jar?"

At the excitement and shock in her voice, he laughed and hugged her again. This time the expression was eagerly returned. "I though you were the one who was dead, Jar Jar."

"Mya hiding." The alien stepped back, a sorrowful expression on his face. "Mya hiding from..."

"I know, old friend. I know." They shared a long look, then she brightened. "Jar Jar, I want you to meet my children. Luke, Leia, I want you to meet an old friend of mine. This is Jar Jar Binks."

"Hello." Jar Jar said.

At the same time, Luke and Leia both said, "Hello."

"Yousa getting tall." The gangly alien said, holding one had at shoulder height for him.

Leia giggled. "I think that's the first time anyone has ever accused me of being tall."

"I'd have to say the same." Luke agreed with a grimace.

"Mya meetin yousa when you itsa bitsa." He held both hand out with his palms only a few inches apart, making all three members of the family laugh. Across the room, Telia cleared her throat.

"As much as I hate to interrupt, we have many things to do."

"You are correct." Padmè agreed with a sigh. "I'm afraid we can't sit and catch up right now."

"Egads!" Jar Jar hit his forhead with one hand. "What meesa doin' talkin about kids. Mya have news! They is agreein'!"

"Who is agreeing and to what?" Leia asked patiently.

"They governors. They is agreein to go back to the old ways. They wantin' to have elections."

The entire group smiled as one. "That is great news!" Padmè said cheerfully. "When did this happen?"

"Meesa not knowin. All they fightin and yellin when meesa get here and now... Theysa agreein! Theysa all saying' what a great leeder yousa is."

"Me? But I haven't been here."

* * *

"Consider this my resignation, Governor." The woman said, walking away causally. She was the last one. Much to his shock, every single person he'd had under his thumb the day before had now quit. The other governors had each come to him and said something similar. 

The ones he had frightened seemed to have suddenly aquired an intimate knowledge of the planet's laws. All of them now realized they were doing nothing wrong.

The others seemed to have become convinced that he was going to be arrested himself. None believed he could give them anything anymore.

Alone, he sat on his bed in shock as his well conceived plans began to collapse around him. His hired help was still there, of course, but most of them he had sent away on other tasks.

Somehow, he knew, this was Amidala's fault. She and those kids of hers. Desperation was new to him and he was beginning to enjoy the feeling of having nothing left to lose. He tucked a blaster under his robe and set his face with a smile. One way or another, he was going to win.


	14. Chapter 14 Execution of Vengence

**Fair warning folks, this is a major cliffie.** This has also been a very hasty post, so I apologize upfront for any formatting errors.

**REV042175:** Gold star for the spelling mistakes, thanks. Ohh, if you hadn't beta'ed this one my response would be "you'll absolutely hate this," but I already gave that warning and won't give it again here. :-)

**Crazyfoo:** The idea definitely has merit, I've stoarted writing it, but I think if it gets posted it will be as a missing moments scene. That's just not part of this story. Thanks for the idea though!

**Mike:** Thank you for the compliments. I like Jar Jar in limited quantities. Of the three responses I got, one hated the characters re-appearance, and one loved it. I take that as a compliment as well. :-)

I should have known you guys would figure out what was going on with the governors, you're all just a little too quick for me. You weren't supposed to know that until chapter fifteen. Again, this chapter is a cliffie, please don't hate me!

**Authors Note: **Kudos goes out to **REV042175**, who beta-ed this chapter. It should be known that he has not beta-ed any other chapters, all previous mistakes are mine and mine alone. :-) Also, I've retained several minor flaws as I felt they fit the mood of the story better as they were originally written.

* * *

_

* * *

Sorrow Multiplied _

Chapter 14

While they waited for the girls' new gowns to arrive from the dressmaker's, Luke and Leia sat on the Queen's balcony and looked down at the courtyard. Their mother was reminiscing with Jar Jar and Telia had gone to check on security. The governors would be assembling at any moment.

Leia stared into the wildly overgrown gardens and Luke stared at Leia. He was worried about her. She'd been so distant since they escaped that cave. He knew something had happened to her, but he was very fuzzy as to what it was.

"Are you alright?" His voice broke the silence suddenly and Leia turned to look at him.

"What makes you ask?" It was a diplomat's answer and they both knew it.

He sighed. "I'm worried about you. What happened back there that upset you so?"

She studied her fingers for a long moment. "I spoke to someone." She hesitated for more than one reason. More than anything in the world Luke wanted to know his father. He had felt that way for as long as she had known him. He'd gotten to meet the man, once, but as of now Leia had more experience with him than Luke. Her brother's life was the only thing she wasn't willing to give to have never had that conversation.

"Who?"

That was the question, wasn't it. "Him."

Luke swallowed, he'd expected as much, though he hadn't wanted to believe it. He wasn't sure what to say, so he waited for Leia to continue.

"He was so _nice_." Her voice dripped with frustration and anger. "It's not fair. He's not supposed to be nice. He's the bad guy. He's evil!"

She was all but sobbing and Luke slid over on the built-in bench to wrap his arms around her. "I"m sorry, Leia. I wish it wasn't like this."

"I liked him, Luke." The confession was surprising in it's sincerity, if not it's content. "When I didn't know who he was, I was starting to like him. He was kind and funny and sweet and I hate him." The last words were punctuated with sobs. Luke held her small frame tightly. She was right, it wasn't fair. The longer he was in this place the less fair he thought it was. It took all he had to fight against the 'If only' thoughts that plagued him. As a Jedi he couldn't afford to go where that path may lead.

"I know, Leia. I know." She cried until she was done, then she stood abruptly, wiping tears from her cheeks still.

"We should go. General Binks is inside and we should..."

"He'll wait. He and mother want to catch up anyway. I guess they spent a lot of time working together before we were born." He stood and laid one arm across her shoulders. She leaned into him, grateful for the support.

"What would I do without you, Luke?"

He offered her no response and she expected none. There was nothing either could say to change the past. Nor could they expect life to mold itself to suit their desires.

"I should try to accept him, shouldn't I?" Leia asked, knowing the response.

"You have to do what you have to do. It would be easier on you if you accepted what is."

Leia snorted. "That's Jedi advice?"

"That's brother advice. You fight against everything, it can't be easy for you." He grinned at her. "I get exhausted just watching you sometimes."

"Don't change the subject. Then again, please do. I can't forgive just yet, but maybe I can forget for a while."

"In that case, maybe we should go in?"

* * *

The decision was made to wait until the following day to hold any sort of conference. With the current day nearly at an end and the news Jar Jar had brought from the governors being echoed by the populace in general, Padmè felt it best to have a plan of action when she again spoke to the assembly. 

Luke, Leia, and Padme slept in the Queen's quarters that night, Telia felt they would be more secure than any lower rooms. The woman turned out to be very good at planning security. The large suite had been furnished with all the basics and it was ready for it's first occupants in over twenty years.

The rooms were clean, if a bit dusty. The linens smelled wonderful, but somehow Leia couldn't feel comfortable in her soft bed. She blamed too many nights spent on bunks in barracks with the other soldiers or on tiny shipboard beds. The huge, overstuffed mattress seemed strange despite the many years she'd spent on nearly identical beds in her youth. The Princess tried everything she could think of to get comfortable. She pounded on her pillow, reshaping it to her desires. She separated the blankets from the sheets as she had as a child, but to no avail. Finally, she decided the problem did not lay with the bed, but with herself. Obsessing over the sleeping arrangements was occupying her mind, but it wasn't solving her problem.

Giving up, she climbed out of bed, which was now a terrible mess, and padded across the room to the window. In the dark, the gardens displayed outside looked like a mysterious jungle, instead of the weed patch they had become. Leia found it all too easy to imagine large cats and all other sorts of creatures prowling through the underbrush, just searching for their next meal. Perhaps one would become hungry enough to risk searching through the palace for a little girl to carry away...

Disgusted with herself, Leia swung the curtain shut and turned away. As a child she had occasionally allowed her imagination to run away with her, didn't every child? But to imagine wild animals were after her was ridiculous. For starters, the garden outside was closed and no such creature could get in. Secondly, she had her blaster on the end table and if anything showed up that would most definitely dissuade it. Turning back toward her bed with the intention of on a light, a familiarly shaped shadow caught her eye and she let out a cry. She didn't hesitate, though. Years as a soldier made her roll toward the bed despite her fear. Instinctively, she switched on the lamp and snatched up her blaster in the same fluid motion. The blaster came up in both hands and she aimed it at...

Empty air. The lamp light dispelled the shadow, which proved to have no substance. It certainly hadn't been what, or rather whom, she had thought it was. That was, of course, impossible. He had been dead for months now. He'd died trying to save Luke...

Leia shut down that thought and slammed the blaster back on the end table. She closed her eyes and tried desperately to quiet her own breathing. The sound was too much like...

Crying out again, Leia ran toward her door and out into the main room. Across from her door was her brother's and she reached for the knob, leaving her own door open. Crossing the threshold, she froze. She was just being silly, Luke was sleeping quietly. there really wasn't any need to disturb him. She would just go back to her own room and go to sleep. But she didn't even turn around completely, because out of the dark came Luke's voice.

"Leia? Is something wrong?" He was sitting up, reaching for the lamp. When he switched it on, she was able to see the creases his pillow had made on his cheek. And that she'd woken him from a deep sleep.

"It's nothing Luke, go back to sleep." But he was already on his feet and crossing the room to her.

He shook his head and took her hands. "It's not nothing, Leia. You're radiating fear and confusion. I'll bet even Han could sense you right now. What's wrong?"

"I couldn't sleep. I was trying to think quietly." She grimaced. She really had been trying to be quiet, like he'd shown her.

Luke raised an eyebrow at her and gave her a smirk. "You were doing a good job too, or else I would have woken up sooner." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and guided her to the kitchen. "You've been practicing your shields, haven't you?"

Leia didn't respond, and he didn't expect her to. Instead, she just settled in a chair and let Luke make some tea. When the water was hot, she helped him carry it into the sitting room where they settled on the sofa.

"Now, tell me what happened." Luke said softly, letting her lean against his side.

"I couldn't sleep, I just kept thinking about... Well, everything. Then, I thought I saw something in the shadows and I panicked. That's when I went looking for you." Leia laid her head against her brother's shoulder and sipped at her tea. It was too hot but she welcomed the burning sensation. She used the pain to ground herself. Luke sensed this and took the cup away.

Settling the small cup on the table, Luke wrapped his free arm around his sister's shoulders. "Leia, who did you think you saw?"

Though she was plenty warm enough, Leia shuddered momentarily. "Vader."

Trying to lighten the mood, Luke said, "You know he's dead, right?"

"Yes, I know he's dead!" She said, irritation coloring her speech. "I just can't do this, Luke. I can't forgive him the way you and mother have. He destroyed my life and now I'm learning that he's done it twice!"

Brow creased in puzzlement, Luke asked, "Twice? How could he have done it twice?"

"Vader destroyed the galaxy as it was known then, throwing us into a civil war which I have been a part of my entire life. He stood by and let Tarkin destroy Alderaan and he's killed nearly everyone I ever knew. Now I find out about the life I could have had with you and mother here on Naboo, and he's responsible for me losing that too!" She finished breathlessly, tears running down her cheeks despite herself.

Luke took a moment to assess the situation. "I don't know what to tell you Leia. Vader did some horrible things, it's true. I don't think even I could forgive Vader. But I can, and have, forgiven Anakin, our father. That's easier because I don't have to forgive him all those atrocities, I just have to forgive him for becoming Vader."

Leia snorted at his logic. "Since when did you become a politician, Luke?"

"Since I found out it's the family business. It is a lot more interesting than moisture farming."

She couldn't help but laugh out loud at the comment. "I'll grant you that one. If I hadn't been so worried about Han on my one trip to Tatooine, I think I would have been bored out of my mind. How did you manage to survive eighteen years there?"

"Easy, work, work, and more work. Uncle Owen always made sure I kept busy. I think I understand why he did that now, though. I understand a lot of what Uncle Owen did, in hindsight."

"Like, what?" Leia asked, intrigued enough to forget, for the moment, the original topic of their discussion. Their first purpose for this sabbatical had been to get to know each other, after all.

Luke sighed gently, trying to think of a good example. "Well, like keeping me busy all the time. You might not believe this, but I was very prone to daydreaming when I was younger."

"No, really?" Leia grinned at him.

"I know, it's hard to believe. Uncle Owen didn't like that though so he always made sure I was occupied. I see now he didn't want me thinking too much about adventures. I might have gotten it into my head to leave Tatooine."

Leia looked up at him, "What else?"

"Obviously, he refused to tell me anything about my father no matter how many times I asked." At Leia's snort, he laughed and continued. "And the way he always chased Ben away when he was trying to help me with something."

"What would Ben have been helping you with?"

Now it was Luke's turn to snort ironically. "What didn't he try to help me with? I must have wandered off a dozen times when I was little and Ben always found me and took me home. He rescued me from thugs in Mos Eisley once. Helped me take care of Aunt Beru when she was sick and Uncle Owen was gone... a million things, over the years."

"You two were really close, weren't you? You and General Kenobi, I mean."

"Yes, and no. I knew him my entire life, and I always looked up to him. But then I found out I really knew nothing about him. Now? I'm not sure."

Leia, who had recently felt her brother had all the answers, was disturbed slightly by this confession. Luke noticed her momentary confusion and hugged her tightly for a moment. "I have issues too, you know." He teased.

"I know. That's why I asked, because I want to understand. Sometimes I feel like I've known you forever, but then you say or do something, and I remember that we only met a few years ago."

"I know, Leia, I feel the same way," he confessed. "What about you? Did you know Ben?"

She shook her head. "No, I never met him. The one and only time I saw him was on the Death Star when we were running for the _Falcon_. My father, Bail, I mean, spoke of him occasionally. That's how I knew to send Artoo to him. I knew he was on Tatooine somewhere and since we were in orbit when the Imperials found us... It just seemed right to send the plans to him." Leia paused thoughtfully. "I wonder how much of that, of everything I've done, was done at the prompting of the Force? I've felt it, recently, and I can recognize it when the Force is trying to send me a message, but I wouldn't have then. I wonder..."

She shook herself slightly and dropped her gaze to the table. "It's still strange to me."

"I know. You'll get used to it." Luke promised her. She sighed felt her eyelids drooping as she lay there.

"I think I'm finally ready to go to sleep," she told him.

"Then we should probably get you to bed. We've all got a big day tomorrow."

* * *

Despite having sworn to never again don such a ridiculous costume, Leia soon found herself in a dressing alcove sorting out the various parts of her new gown. A thick, many layered under-skirt was covered by a long white dress with a close-fitting bodice and sleeves. A second bodice, this one blue, went over the first and matching extensions were added to her sleeves so that they hung down and blended with her skirt. A wide, fringed blue sash circled her waist several times before trailing behind her in place of the short train the designer had wanted to add. 

The final result was an almost normal gown. She had cut most of the elaborate additions from the design before agreeing to wear it. She had no intention of being kidnapped again, but there was someone in the palace right now who wanted her dead.

More furniture had been brought in and she found herself sitting in a mostly equipped sitting room to work on her hair. With plenty of time and something to occupy her hands, Leia's mind was free to wander. Every moment of the day before played back through her mind, slowing down when she got to her contact with the mysterious man.

Her father. That was an idea that stuck in her mind. Unlike her brother, Leia had grown up with a father. Her father had been a wise, strong, peaceful man. Bail Organa had taught her right from wrong. He had played with her as a child. He had introduced her to politics. He had held her hand at her mother's funeral...

But her mother was alive. It was her adopted mother who had died all those years ago. Her mother was alive, but that meant the man who wore the name 'father' wasn't really.

The problem was not who she had thought of as a father all these years. The problem was who she thought of as Father now. The man she had met the day before had been kind, had made her feel safe. He had been everything a father should be, aside from being dead, of course. He was someone she would have no problem thinking of as her father.

Unfortunately, her emotions were not the only thing involved. Her brain continually pulled up the image of an emotionless black mask and for just a moment she heard the echo of mechanized breathing.

She pulled a drawer open and found it filled with various pins and ornaments. She found a large hand full of pins that each had a single blue gem set into the tip and began pushing them through her braids.

_"I am sorry, Leia. I should have told you."_ The voice echoed slightly around the room and it startled her enough that she poked her finger with a pin. The end was blunted, but it hurt anyway.

"A little warning would be appreciated!" She snapped, not sure what she wanted to say to this man. She had jerked her hand violently away in her surprise and the barely fastened braid had come loose. Cursing, she bent to retrieve the dropped pin only to find another, very solid hand was holding it up for her. Her gaze traveled up a long arm to a warm, very real face.

His hair was light and a little too long. His face was slightly rounded, but his high cheek bones and stubborn chin reminded Leia very much of the image she saw in the mirror every day. He was bent slightly so his face was on level with hers. Frozen in place, she could not take the ornament from his fingers. Smiling gently, her father picked up the end of the loose braid and secured it with the errant pin.

With the final braid in place, her head was a mass of waves and ripples reminiscent of the ocean. The tiny blue jewels were like breakers on the shore and the fine white mesh she laid over the top of it all was the foam on the waves. She studied the mirror intently, but it was not her own image she inspected. The man standing behind her seemed to be doing the same and neither broke the silence, each intent on committing the other to memory.

Warm fingers that had been resting on her shoulder since they had finished off her braids, slowly lifted to her cheek in a gentle caress. The skin was calloused and Leia took a moment to realize why that was wrong. It was his right hand that rested on her cheek. Like her brother, her father had lost that appendage; long before he became a Sith lord.

She met his eyes in the mirror but could find nothing sinister in them. His face was far from innocent, but there was nothing malicious about it. There was nothing she could see in this man that would account for the monster that haunted her nightmares.

At long last, the one question that had haunted her longer than any other bubbled to her lips. "How? How does anyone become..."

"A monster?" His eyes were sad and she wondered if he might cry. "I should have known you would jump right to that question." He sighed and Leia felt his breath blow across the top of her head. He stood up and she realized only then that he'd been on his knees. Irrelevantly, she thought it was just one more injustice that her father should be so tall and she would be so short.

He circled the bench and knelt beside her. "I did it for you." Disbelief colored her face and he smiled wryly. "I thought I could _make_ the galaxy better. One swift decisive move. Make everybody get along and get rid of those who wouldn't. I was so angry, for so many reasons I won't bother with right now."

He took her hand in his and smoothed the skin with his fingers. "I was wrong, I know that now, but by the time I learned it was too late."

She didn't yank her hand out of his grasp as she might have. Instead, she just sat. Luke didn't even know this, she wondered if her mother did. Something settled into place inside her. She wasn't sure why, but this man's words calmed a fear she hadn't known she entertained, the fear that she could become what he had been.

A million little things she'd known but not understood settled into place suddenly, calming the turbulent emotions that had been rampaging through her for months now. Bits and pieces of stories she had heard, contradictions in the thing Vader did. In a single moment of clarity she understood and that knowledge set her mind at ease in a way nothing else could.

She was still seated on the bench and even on his knees she had to look up to see his face. Her fingers clutched at his and when she spoke her voice broke thanks to tears that had not yet bubbled out. "Daddy?"

Warm fingers wiped tears from her cheeks before gathering her close to his body. A force sense she'd barely recognized until this point memorized everything about the man that held her close. It was all more than she could comprehend at once and her mind filtered out everything but the warmth of his arms and the feeling of complete and total safety that a war rampaging through the room couldn't have shaken.

* * *

Forgiveness was a marvelous thing. Padmè stood quietly in the doorway and watched her little girl and her husband embrace and knew for an absolute certainty that there was good in the galaxy. 

She had come to see if Leia was ready, but there was nothing under this or any other sun that could make her disturb the scene in front of her. She turned slowly and made her way out of the room again, peace finding its way into her heart for a while at least.

* * *

Han saw on the monitors when the man pocketed the blaster. There was no legitimate reason for anyone to conceal a blaster in such a manner. He watched intently as the man adjusted the hang of his cloak and walked calmly out of his room. Backing up the image, Han examined the weapon and jumped to his feet. 

That particular model was furiously powerful and could punch a hole through a transparisteel cockpit. He shuddered to think what it would do to human flesh, which was the only thing in this building for him to shoot.

The former smuggler raced out of the room calling for back up on his com-link and wishing he had the New Republic army at his back. His friends could be the only target he was not about to stand around and watch someone else try and fail to save them.

* * *

When Leia did emerge from the dressing alcove, it was clear eyed and cheerfully. The day's meetings would be held much less formally than their previous presentation and she was looking forward to the almost celebratory atmosphere that would permeate the coming gathering. Naboo would once again be reunited under a single government, a single leader. 

Her mother, her brother, and the Gungan ambassador were all seated in the large common room when she joined them. Smiles passed and her brother, sensing the change in her, grinned broadly. He offered her his arm, which she accepted smoothly.

The day's meeting was meant to be an organizational one. They would be rallying the governors and instructing them on the best ways to encourage the people in their districts. To help in that capacity, Governor Lisk was supposed to meet them in the conference room.

They reached to conference room and stood to the side of the door waiting for their friend, but he did not arrive.

"Should we start without him?" Luke asked.

Leia shook her head. "I suppose we have to. It's a shame, though, he's been working for this moment since the beginning. He really should be here."

Padmè stepped forward and led the group to the small stage at the front. She activated a display and the built in terminal that had just been replaced. A presentation Lisk's people had put together displayed itself on the screen and was transmitted to the individual datapads throughout the room. She and Jar Jar stood together at the front and were flanked by Leia on the left and Luke on the right.

Padme's face composed itself as she opened her mouth to speak. "People of Naboo, today is a great day for today we..."

She never got to finish the sentence. The crack of a blaster bolt rang out and she fell backward into her daughter's arms. Luke leapt forward and caught the next two bolts with his lightsabre. The man who had fired on them cried out suddenly and crumpled to the floor, a black burn mark scoring his back.

Han Solo stepped through the doorway, his own blaster never leaving the still form on the carpeted aisle. When he neared the man, it became obvious the overweight man was dead and he holstered his weapon. With one boot he rolled the corpse onto its back, revealing none other than Governor Lisk.

Shaking his head slowly, he was broken out of his thoughts by a terrified sob echoing through the silent room The voice was horrifyingly familiar and he rushed to Leia's side.

She was clutching her mother tightly. The older woman was unconscious; an impossibly huge burn scarred the right side of her torso and was far too far left to be considered a shoulder wound. Blood trickled from the wound with deceptive slowness. The scar was so large that even a few drops were too many. He looked around desperately, trying to find someone to help. Telia stood just behind him and he heard her speaking to a medic on her com-link.

Leia pressed a length of white fabric to the wound and he realized it was a large chunk of her costume. The white fabric was soon stained crimson through and through and she discarded it in favor of a new length.

Han leaned forward so he was in the former queen's line of sight. "Just hold on, Miss. Help is on the way..."

She was slowly coming to and her eyes focused on his face slowly. "So, this is the illustrious Han Solo..."

Her breathing was ragged and he prayed she wasn't bleeding internally. Leia was beyond words right now, she was focusing on trying to stop the bleeding. Padmè grimaced when Leia pushed hard on the wound.

"I had hoped to meet you eventually, I just wish it were under better circumstances." The woman's speech was halting and she had to pause for breath every other word. She definitely had lung damage. Han was about to tell her not to speak when she passed out again. He locked eyes with Leia, then felt a hand on his shoulder.

Luke pointed toward the door where a team of medics were rushing in. Han stood and backed off to allow them space.

The room was in a shambles. The governors had hit the floor with the first blaster shot and most had fled as soon as the immediate danger had passed. Over turned chairs and loose datapads were scattered across the floor and half obscured Lisk's body from view.

Padmè was carried out of the room hastily with Leia running after the medical team. Luke paused next to his friend.

"Thank you, Han..."

The old smuggler raised an eyebrow. "What for?"

The Jedi glanced toward the door involuntarily and Han nudged him with an elbow. "Go on kid, she needs you. I've got things here"

Luke took off, not waiting to ask which 'she' his friend was talking about.

The lanky alien that Han had barely noticed until now stepped up to the body on the floor and tapped it with one foot.

"Thisa bad. Thisa very bombad."

"You said it my friend, you said it."


	15. Chapter 15 Sorrow Stayed

Okay, this is it. The end, the final chapter. /sniffs/ I'm so sorry to leave you all. I'll be back soon, with any luck, and post a sequal to my fic "History's Keeper" Tha't s what I'm working on now, anyway.

**REV042175:** I say this a lot, but sometimes it's the best thing to say. Thank you. (I'm trying to take Kazzy's advice and not admit that I didn't mean that at all...) ;-)

Fred has really been working me overtime. I think Mike's muse has had a bad influence on him. (we've discovered they have been hanging out together) He keeps feeding me things like that when all I want to do is write fluffy mushy stuff. Still, he did make me finish this so...

**Kazzy:** C'mon! You know me better than that by now, I like happy endings. :-)

I never liked how the EU down played Luke and Leia's relationship either. I'm just going to assume that all the stuff I would expect was off-scene. I am going to give the authors the benefit of a doubt and assume there just weren't enough pages in the books. :-)

And don't worry, that wasn't he big meeting,I couldn't resist, though, since you all asked for it so many times... :-)

**Mike:** You flatter me all the time, it's really good for my ego but none of my hats fit anymore... :-) Seriously, though, I'm glad you liked it. It's a fine line between touching and corny and I like to flirt with that line whenever possible. :-)

Actually, I was referring to ROTJ itself. When Han was frozen in carbonite and Luke, Leia, Lando, and Chewie went to rescue him. When Leia wore the metal bikini? I thought that would remind you... :-) I never read Tatooine Ghost, though I hope to one day.

**vrai-rose:** Actually, I've been reading your fic too, but haven't reviewed. Sorry, here, as well. I would say that authors tend to be lurkers, but I guess it's just you and me. Most of my other reviewers are authors. ;-) Oh, well. I'll review if you do. :-) And Thanks!

Thank you, for the praise. Actually, I do have a brother like that. We are very close as far as age goes and he's been my best friend practically my whole life. I drew on his personality a lot for this story.

yeah, after all Han's rushing, he needed a big moment. Glad you liked it!

**Shinigami:** Scarily enough, I understood that, though I would be more frightened of Han. Vader's gone for good. :-) Here's the conclusion.

**Author's Note:** Kudos, again, goes to **REV042175**, who not only beta-ed this chapter, but provided two of the best lines in here. Also, he's pointed out to me that a tissue warning should go on this one. So here it is, you have been warned...

* * *

**_Sorrow Multiplied_**

Chapter 15

l

_Padmè darted behind a small speeder, ducking to avoid being seen. A feeling of deja vu fell over her and she sighed to herself even as she peeked back over the speeder. He was looking her way but not yet directly at her. Despite her caution, Luke began walking toward her hiding place. Desperate, she started crawling toward the edge of the speeder. It was only a couple of feet more the side of the building, from there she should be able to out run the seven-year old._

_She peeked out again and saw only the back of the boy's head. Within seconds she was safely out of sight, running through the alleyways. Daring to try again, she paralleled Beru's path and peeked through the marketplace at the pair. _

_Luke was obediently trailing his aunt, though his attention was everywhere else. While the woman was busy picking out items for purchase, Luke examined everything in sight. He took the time out to admire a new model of speeder, then picked up some metallic object off the ground. Beru called to him and he dashed ahead to catch her._

_Padmè tugged at her dark brown cloak. The material had probably just saved her son's life. Obi-Wan had impressed on her what the consequences could be if he recognized her. There was no doubt in her mind that he would recognize her. She hadn't yet told the boy's guardians or Obi-Wan that she was even on planet. A third party had actually hired her to ship a load of fine silk here, why she couldn't imagine. Whatever the reason, it was not her business to ask questions. Eager to visit the planet again, she had taken the job far too quickly and for far too little money. Leaving the docking bays, she had spotted her son and his aunt walking through town and impulsively followed them._

_Not wanting to seem suspicious to outsiders, she absently paid an old woman for some fruit. The attempt to blend was in vain because she never took her eyes off little Luke. _

_"Cute kid." The woman remarked._

_"What?" Not her most eloquent statement, but served its purpose._

_The woman smiled. "I said 'Cute kid.' I was referring to the Lars' boy."_

_Padmè tried to conjure a smile, but the attempt was half-hearted at best and only resulted in a brief twitch of her lips. "He is... Interesting." She was trying to be non-committal. _

_Deciding that this conversation could go nowhere good, Padmè left the woman's stall quickly and tried to disappear into the crowd. She failed. So hasty was her retreat that she literally bumped into Beru Lars, who was making her way through the crowd in the opposite direction. _

_Padmè had not spoken to the woman since before they had become in-laws, but Beru could not help recognizing her. Thankfully, Luke was currently examining an odd looking droid and did not notice the women exchange fearful glances. _

_Recognizing an opportunity she would never have again, Padmè paused, gripped the woman in a tight hug, and mouthed the words "thank you." She then fled the marketplace as quickly as possible._

_As the former Queen glanced back over her shoulder, hoping for one more glimpse, she spotted someone else she desperately wanted to talk to. He spotted her as well and joined her in the shaded alley._

_"You were not supposed to return for some time, milady." The Jedi spoke softly._

_She bowed her head in sorrow. "This was an unscheduled trip. It shall be my last, I'm afraid."_

_He nodded sadly. "I thought that may be the case. I told you this would be risky."_

_"You don't understand!" She cried forcefully. Glancing around suspiciously, she quieted her voice. "I should not have returned. He knew I was here, in the marketplace. He came looking for me." Her chin trembled and she took a halting breath. "You were right; I can see it in him. I cannot return, for any reason. Nor- Nor may I ship to Alderaan."_

_The last sentence was spoken with a strength she didn't feel, the impersonal words belied how hurtful the comment was. The Jedi understood what she could not bring herself to say._

_"Your children are very bright. We knew that already." His voice was kind, gentle and caring. His hand on her arm a welcome comfort. "Still, I wish it weren't so."_

_She giggled slightly hysterically. "As do I, as do I." The tear that threatened to drop from her eye stayed put, clouding her vision. _

_In an unexpected gesture, the Jedi wrapped his arms around her deceptively slight frame, her hood falling back as her pulled her close to him. Her hair smelled only of soap and sand. Obi-Wan couldn't help wondering how something so horrible could happen to someone so kind. This woman had never thought to harm anyone, she had spent her life trying to help anyone and everyone. Right now, despite being well past thirty years old, she seemed as vulnerable as a child._

_"What cruel masters the fates are." She said, echoing his thoughts._

_"You will be with them again one day."_

_His hopeful words were said with such conviction that they heartened her considerably. Just this one time she allowed herself to hope that wishing would make it so. That wanting something badly enough would create a way to make it happen._

_"You will be with them again one day."_

* * *

Luke sat at his mother's bedside, holding her hand in his despite the fact that she was unconscious. He'd finally convinced Leia to get some rest when the woman had come out of the bacta tank an hour ago. 

He watched her chest rise and fall slowly. Her hospital shift covered her damaged shouldermaking it easier to imagine she had never been hurt.

"I didn't know it, Mom, but I missed you. All those years when I never thought about you, I missed you." His voice was husky with emotion that he wouldn't show around Leia. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you now. You have to be alright because we both need you for a while yet."

_"Your mother will be fine, she's a fighter."_

The Jedi looked up quickly, but did not see the source of the voice.

"Ben?"

A warm chuckle echoed through the room as a form began to materialize on the other side of the hospital bed. "Not quite, son. If only I were that wise."

"Father?"

The man smiled and nodded. "I just thought I'd check in on your mother." He took her other hand and gazed down at her fondly. With one hand he brushed a lock of damp hair behind her ear. "My angel."

Luke just stared as his father straightened and walked around the bed. The older man ruffled his son's hair playfully, then laid one hand on the boy's shoulder. "Don't worry, Luke. She will be just fine. You have a good many years left with your mother."

"It was you, wasn't it? You tricked the Governors." It wasn't a question.

Anakin sighed, "Not exactly. I just cleared their minds a bit, let them think without fear. So many were just afraid."

Luke looked up at him, a child once again, but a wiser one than he might have been years ago. "How? And is that right? Should you do things like that? And, for that matter, how are you here, now?" He gripped the man's arm fiercely.

"Last question first, I'm using you, your mother and your sister. I'm connected to you all, that's why I can be here, though it's difficult. I'm not sure I understand it all that well myself. I never payed that much attention to the more mystical parts of this, I'm afraid. I worried more about _what_ I could do, not how. As for the Governors, I probably shouldn't have. However, it was only a mild form of mind trick, not the dark side."

He reached out and touched Padmè's injured shoulder lightly. "I didn't know what they were afraid of. If I had, I would have caught this before it happened. Lisk seemed to be honest, I suppose they all do at first." He chuckled at the irony. "I guess I never have been good with politicians"

The pain there was almost palpable, but he didn't say more. After another moment, There was a clatter of metallic items hitting the floor and a loud "Exsqueeze me!"

Shortly, Jar Jar Binks backed into the room, still apologizing to whomever he had bumped into. The Gungan turned around quickly and froze in place, staring speechlessly at a rapidly vanishing form standing next to the bed.

* * *

Meetings were held in the ambassadors' absence and decisions were made. For the moment, though, there wasn't much to be done. Those who were interested in holding official positions had to announce their candidacy and file the appropriate documents for the upcoming elections. The public's response was unanimous, they were all tired of living in seclusion. Most of the population hadn't even been born or had been too young to understand, when Palpatine came into power. Twenty years later, they were ready to move on. 

The elections were slated to take place in one year's time. In the meantime, a temporary government would work to recover and rebuild what was left of the planet's old system.

For three days Padmè was aware of none of this. She slept peacefully, recovering from her trauma. Her children caught up with the news frequently, but did not participate in the reconstruction. Rather, they fretted, worried, and reminisced. The time was not put to waste in the slightest, despite the fact that most of it was spent sitting in a hospital room.

Han Solo spent his fair share of time sitting at Padmè's bedside as well, mostly with Leia. The Princess worried constantly and Han tried to be there whenever Luke wasn't.

He couldn't help thinking about the woman as he watched her sleep. There was little about her that seemed impressive just now, yet she had been through so much. They would never make a holo film with so many obstacles in it, it would just be unbelievable. Still, she had persevered. Despite everything, she had lived and she had never lost hope.

Having recently relearned how to have faith, he understood better than most how difficult that must have been for her. Until he'd met Leia and joined the Rebellion, Han had thought himself beyond believing in silly dreams. Some things were impossible and he took that fact at face value. Now, having finally won that impossible war, he believed again. He believed anything was possible.

One night, he stopped by late to find Leia sleeping in a chair next to the bed. She was sitting mostly upright, but with her head resting on the side of the bed on her crossed arms. Asleep, she looked more vulnerable than he'd ever seen her and he could not find the strength to wake her.

A princess by birth and by adoption, and he was sure he was in love with her. The smuggler and the princess, it would at least make for interesting news-bytes. That was, of course, assuming she said yes. He hoped she wouldn't laugh at him.

* * *

He was pacing the room alone when Padmè woke up. Luke and Leia had both gone to breakfast at his insistence. He didn't notice at first, he was worrying about Leia and if he even dared to ask her when she yawned slowly. He froze in place as if he'd been caught doing something wrong, then rushed to her side. "You're awake!" He turned toward the door, "I'll get a doctor!" 

Han called down the corridor, then ducked back in the room. "Are you okay? How do you feel?"

She smiled, though it was a strained expression. "Like I've been shot by a high-powered blaster, but otherwise fine."

Han looked back at the door nervously, thankful when the doctor came rushing in. Suddenly remembering why he was there, he pulled out his com-link and called Luke.

"Hey kid, she's up." He said when the Jedi answered. He heard something clatter to the floor, then the link clicked off. The old smuggler smiled to himself, then pocketed the device. He would bet both of them would be here any moment now.

* * *

The temporary government needed a leader and as soon as news spread that she was awake, a young man came to see Padmè. 

He bowed when he entered the room and stammered nervously when he spoke. "Hello Madam. I'm Jekob Nero, I'm a member of the committee responsible for selecting the interim leaders... You see, the elections aren't for another year..."

He broke off, unsure if he was repeating knowledge she already knew and worried she didn't like the idea. Padmè recognized his hesitance and decided not to make him work it out himself.

"Yes, go on. What did you need to see me about?" She smiled gently and he relaxed.

"Well, we are in need of a leader, a temporary monarch, if you will. He or she would take on the full responsibilities of the position until elections are held in a years time. This person would, of course, select their own cabinet of advisors. It's not an enviable position right now, of this we are aware. There is much work to do and we still need to work towards admittance into the New Republic. We, the committee, I mean, well, we were hoping that you would accept that position."

The man finished in a rush. The request was not unexpected and she sighed at the thought. She would refuse another term as leader; it was against their law. But a temporary position... They needed someone strong. _"Someone wise,"_ came the echo of a whisper. She didn't think she was either anymore. _"I think the Naboo need you..."_

"I must consider this request." She told him.

He nodded. "I understand, please contact me when you have reached a decision." His retreat was hasty and she wondered what she had done to make anyone so fearful of her. The thought made her grin. Well, coming back from the dead had certainly helped toward that end.

She rarely spent any time alone during the week she stayed in the hospital. One or both of her children were by her side constantly. The doctors told her that she nearly died. If the blaster shot had been fired from a few feet closer it would have penetrated deep enough to obliterate her heart, killing her instantly. As it was, the organ had been severely damaged. Fragments of her ribs, which were all that remained on one side, had been pushed deep into her right lung and the resultant cauterization was what had kept her from bleeding to death in seconds. All things considered, she wasn't surprised they didn't want to leave her side.

Both Luke and Leia agreed she should do what made her happiest. If she wanted to take the position as temporary Queen, she should. If she didn't, they would help her get settled where ever she wanted to be.

"Naboo really isn't that far from Coruscant, and it's not like I have any specific reason to be there just now." Luke confessed. "I could stay here for a time, or at least visit frequently. Who knows, if we were both here maybe we could convince Leia to take more time off."

He was wearing the cream-colored tunic and brown pants again. I was simpler than the outfits she had picked out for him, but otherwise very similar to the old Jedi garb. He had left behind the brown cloak, but on him the look worked.

Leia was wearing an outfit that had to be new. The black slacks and red blouse were definitely casual clothes, which she had already admitted to not owning. Her hair was in a single plait that suited her nicely.

"I suppose if getting you out of that black get-up is possible, anything is." She teased him.

Luke just smirked at her and she broke out laughing in response. "I am definitely going to spend more time here, does that make you happy?"

"Yes."

Padmè sighed contentedly. "I can't believe I missed the two of you growing up." Her comment broke the mood and they all calmed. " I'm going to take the job. It's only temporary and I have done it before."

"For what it's worth, I think you're needed here." Han's voice spoke out from the doorway. He crossed the room slowly and Leia thought it was the first time she had seen him visibly nervous. "Luke, Leia, a guy is looking for you. He wants to know more about gaining admission to the New Republic."

They exchanged glances, ready to decline, when their mother spoke up. "Go on you two, I'll be fine here."

They left reluctantly, but Han lingered. He stood at the foot of her bed and looked everywhere but her face.

"What is it, Captain Solo?" She asked curiously. Her experience with the man was limited to a few brief comments, but from Leia's descriptions he was a good man. She had wanted to have a good long conversation with him for some time, but he never seemed to be available.

"I wanted to talk to you Miss- ah, Mrs- Madam-" He broke off and she laughed.

"Padmè will do fine. I'm not sure what titles I would be willing to claim just now." She gestured toward a free chair, sitting up a bit straighter in her bed. "Please, sit. I don't like looking up at people all day, though you would think I would be used to it by now, being so short."

He sat, completely missing her joke. "I don't know what you may have heard about me-"

"I heard you're a smuggler, a scoundrel, and a hero of the rebellion. I don't think much else matters." She smiled as she said it and he seemed to relax.

The smuggler didn't know when he'd been more nervous. "I'll just say this outright. I'm not good with the formal stuff. I know I'm just a smuggler and she's a Princess and there are a million reasons why I shouldn't even ask but I'm in love with your daughter and I want to ask her to marry me."

The question was exactly what she'd expected to hear. She laughed out loud, making the poor man more nervous than ever, but an image came to her head that she knew hadn't come from her own mind. "I've very happy for you both." She managed to gasp out before relaxing back to the bed. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh at you, dear."

"That's good," he said with a grimace.

Padmè carefully cleared the image of Anakin forcing Han to the alter at blaster point from her mind. "I'm afraid I have a twisted sense of humor at times, you'll have to forgive me. I would be honored to have you as a son, Han Solo. You have my blessing, and my husband's, to ask our daughter for her hand in marriage."

Merry laughter echoed through the room and Han jumped. Padmè just smiled at the air around her. "Welcome to the family, dear. Now you had better go ask Leia."

* * *

The wedding was held six months later and Naboo threw the happy couple a celebration that would last in memory for years to come. Of course, any event that involved their most beloved ruler was cause for celebration and her children were apparently included in this high esteem. The ceremony was small and the reception even smaller, but a holiday was unofficially declared and parties broke out all over the capitol. Leaders of the New Republic made an unofficial visit, including current Chief of State Mothma. 

Security was a nearly impossible affair but was handled smoothly by the new head of Planetary security, Telia Nor Fillia. That position was voted on by the cabinet members and would remain until someone removed her from office; which wasn't likely to happen considering how well she did the job. Kerinè declined the position of Padmè's chief advisor, preferring to take a smaller role with the palace decorating committee. This worked out nicely since the woman possesed a fabulous eye for colors and designs.

Predictably, Padmè was requested to stay on as full time leader but declined the position for the second time. She had more importantly things to do, like spoil the grand-children that, Leia soon announced, would be born six months after the elections.

Sorrow was never far away, threatening to break in on any happy moment. But with her family near, she never lost hope that life would go on. And Padmè Amidala Skywalker was happy.

_The end._


End file.
